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Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale (PERS-S)3

Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale (PERS-S) Test

In about four minutes, the Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale (PERS-S) Test uses 18 questions to explore how quickly, intensely, and persistently you experience positive and negative emotions. Your result highlights how you tend to respond emotionally, offering a practical starting point for self-reflection and a clearer understanding of your personal patterns.

Questions: 184 minutes

Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale: situation and reply bubbles

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Intensity (Negative Emotions)IE

Measures how strongly and deeply you tend to experience negative emotions when they occur.

example score12/15

12/15Higher intensityexample score

3 – 7Lower intensity

8 – 11Moderate intensity

12 – 15Higher intensity

A score of 12 falls in the Higher intensity range, suggesting your negative emotions tend to be experienced as relatively strong and impactful when they arise.

Duration (Negative Emotions)DE

Measures how long negative emotional reactions tend to persist after something upsetting happens.

example score6/15

6/15Short-livedexample score

3 – 7Short-lived

8 – 11Moderate duration

12 – 15Long-lasting

A score of 6 falls in the Short-lived range, suggesting negative feelings typically fade relatively quickly after a trigger.

Activation (Negative Emotions)AE

This scale measures how easily and quickly negative emotional reactions are triggered by stimuli.

example score6/15

6/15Low activationexample score

3 – 7Low activation

8 – 11Moderate activation

12 – 15High activation

A score of 6 suggests negative emotions tend to activate relatively slowly and require more noticeable triggers compared with higher scores.

Overall Negative Emotion ReactivityONER

This scale measures how strongly, quickly, and how long you tend to experience negative emotions in response to stimuli.

example score20/45

20/45Lower reactivityexample score

9 – 21Lower reactivity

22 – 33Moderate reactivity

34 – 45Higher reactivity

A score of 20 suggests a lower overall tendency for negative emotions to activate quickly, feel intense, or persist for long periods compared with higher scores on this scale.

Intensity (Positive Emotions)IE

This scale measures how strong and deep your positive emotional experiences tend to feel.

example score6/15

6/15Lower intensityexample score

3 – 7Lower intensity

8 – 11Moderate intensity

12 – 15Higher intensity

A score of 6 suggests your positive emotions are generally experienced with lower intensity compared with higher scores on this scale.

Duration (Positive Emotions)DE

Measures how long positive emotions tend to persist after a positive event or stimulus.

example score9/15

9/15Moderateexample score

3 – 7Short-lived

8 – 11Moderate

12 – 15Long-lasting

A score of 9 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting your positive feelings typically last a moderate amount of time after uplifting experiences.

Activation (Positive Emotions)AE

This scale measures how easily and quickly positive emotions are triggered in response to stimuli.

example score6/15

6/15Low activationexample score

3 – 7Low activation

8 – 11Moderate activation

12 – 15High activation

A score of 6 indicates low positive emotional activation, suggesting positive feelings tend to start more slowly or require stronger cues to arise.

Overall Positive Emotion ReactivityOPER

Measures how quickly, strongly, and how long a person tends to experience positive emotions in response to stimuli.

example score32/45

32/45Moderate reactivityexample score

9 – 21Lower reactivity

22 – 33Moderate reactivity

34 – 45Higher reactivity

A score of 32 indicates moderately reactive positive emotions, suggesting positive feelings tend to arise fairly readily, feel noticeable, and last a moderate amount of time.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Therapy and coaching clients

41%OF USERS

People in counseling or coaching take it to map how quickly, strongly, and how long their positive and negative emotions tend to show up.

Mood regulation seekers

34%OF USERS

People who feel their emotions swing fast or linger too long use it to pinpoint whether activation, intensity, or duration is the main issue.

Researchers and students

25%OF USERS

Psychology researchers and students take it to gather quick, structured data on emotional reactivity for studies and projects.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

Intensity (negative emotions)Ie

You?

Average10.2

Typical rangeTypical8 – 12.4

Possible3 – 15

Duration (negative emotions)De

You?

Average11.3

Typical rangeTypical9.8 – 12.8

Possible3 – 15

Activation (negative emotions)Ae

You?

Average11.5

Typical rangeTypical9.9 – 13.1

Possible3 – 15

Overall Level of Reactivity to Negative EmotionsOLoRtNE

You?

Average23.9

Typical rangeTypical18.5 – 29.2

Possible9 – 45

Intensity (positive emotions)Ie

You?

Average11.6

Typical rangeTypical9.8 – 13.3

Possible3 – 15

Duration (positive emotions)De

You?

Average7.9

Typical rangeTypical5.7 – 10.1

Possible3 – 15

Activation (positive emotions)Ae

You?

Average11.6

Typical rangeTypical9.7 – 13.6

Possible3 – 15

Overall Level of Reactivity of Positive EmotionsOLoRoPE

You?

Average26.9

Typical rangeTypical22.3 – 31.6

Possible9 – 45

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

This questionnaire is designed to assess your typical response to life events and situations that are emotionally significant to you. Please rate the following statements according to how generally applicable or not applicable they are to you. Select the response option that best fits each statement.

- Not at all like me
- Somewhat unlike me
- Neither like me nor unlike me
- Somewhat like me
- Very much like me
- Not at all like me
- Somewhat unlike me
- Neither like nor unlike me
- Somewhat like me
- Very much like me
- Not at all like me
- Somewhat unlike me
- Neither like me nor unlike me
- Somewhat like me
- Very much like me

These are 3 of the 18 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale (PERS-S) Test - Description and methodology of the test

affect

emotionality

For readers seeking clearer insight into emotional patterns, the Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale (PERS-S) Test can help compare how positive and negative experiences affect their reported emotional responses. This emotional reactivity assessment suits people reflecting on reactions to uplifting, disappointing, frustrating, or upsetting events. The profile can support reflection on whether different situations tend to produce similar or contrasting patterns.

What This Assessment Measures

Across both valences, activation concerns reaction ease and speed; intensity concerns strength and depth; duration concerns persistence. Results follow:

Intensity (Negative Emotions) (3-15) and Intensity (Positive Emotions) (3-15) show strength and depth: Lower intensity 3-7, Moderate intensity 8-11, Higher intensity 12-15.
Duration (Negative Emotions) (3-15) and Duration (Positive Emotions) (3-15) show persistence: Short-lived 3-7; Moderate duration (negative) and Moderate (positive) 8-11; Long-lasting 12-15.
Activation (Negative Emotions) (3-15) and Activation (Positive Emotions) (3-15) show ease and speed of reaction: Low activation 3-7, Moderate activation 8-11, High activation 12-15.
Overall Negative Emotion Reactivity (9-45) and Overall Positive Emotion Reactivity (9-45) reflect rapidity, intensity, and persistence: Lower reactivity 9-21, Moderate reactivity 22-33, Higher reactivity 34-45.

Together, the PERS-S emotional reactivity test shows how rapidly, intensely, and persistently you respond.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Each statement uses a five-point self-report scale from "Not at all like me" to "Very much like me," including a neutral option. Items describe reactions to positive and negative events, including mood shifts, intense feelings, sustained enthusiasm, and recovery from frustration.

It reports activation, intensity, duration, and overall reactivity for both valences. Displayed bands describe lower, moderate, or higher tendencies; they do not establish answer weighting. Higher values indicate greater reported ease, intensity, or persistence, not a healthy or unhealthy style.

The questionnaire is conceptually consistent with the published Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale-Short Form, or PERS-S. The broader Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale, or PERS, examines positive and negative reactivity across three features; research supports that structure. These instruments provide context, not validation of this online version. Its bands are descriptive ranges, not standardized clinical norms.

Viewed as a positive and negative emotion assessment, the profile compares both valences and offers a context-sensitive snapshot of reported tendencies. Stress, mood, memory, self-awareness, and the imagined situation can affect answers; higher positive reactivity may coexist with stronger negative reactivity, or vice versa.

Author: James J. Gross, Richard J. Davidson

Literature:

Preece, D., Becerra, R., & Campitelli, G. (2019). Assessing Emotional Reactivity: Psychometric Properties of the Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale and the Development of a Short Form. Journal of Personality Assessment, 101(6), 589-597. 10.1080/00223891.2018.1465430
Becerra, R., Preece, D., Campitelli, G., & Scott-Pillow, G. (2019). The Assessment of Emotional Reactivity Across Negative and Positive Emotions: Development and Validation of the Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale (PERS). Assessment, 26(5), 867-879. 10.1177/1073191117694455

Updated: 2025-10-02