Prohibition on Expressing Feelings Test
Understand how freely you experience and express sadness, anger, fear, and joy in just 5 minutes. This 25-item screen quickly flags where emotions get held back, supporting clearer coping and healthier boundaries.
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08:30
Scale Explorer
How the Scales are Structured
DATA-BASED USER COHORTS
Who Usually Takes This Test?
BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.
RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE
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.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.
General Prohibition (GP)
Average
14.3
Normal range
12.4 — 16.2
min.
5
max.
20
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Fear (F)
Average
14.8
Normal range
12.6 — 16.9
min.
5
max.
20
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Sadness (S)
Average
10.4
Normal range
7.7 — 13.1
min.
5
max.
20
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Ban on Expressing Emotions (BoEE)
Average
57.1
Normal range
44.5 — 69.6
min.
25
max.
100
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Joy (J)
Average
16.2
Normal range
13.9 — 18.6
min.
5
max.
20
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Anger (A)
Average
15.7
Normal range
13.5 — 17.8
min.
5
max.
20
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this questionnaire measure?
It measures comfort with experiencing and expressing four basic feelings: sadness, anger, fear, and joy. It identifies which feelings are most often held back or treated as unacceptable.
How long does it take and how many items are included?
Estimated completion time is about 5 minutes. The questionnaire includes 25 items.
How are responses recorded?
Each item is rated on a fixed response scale. Higher endorsement of avoidance indicates stronger restriction on expressing that feeling.
How should items be answered to ensure useful results?
Select the response that best reflects typical behavior rather than an ideal or intended response. Answer each item based on usual situations, not rare exceptions.
How should results be interpreted?
Results describe tendencies in emotional expression and do not provide a diagnosis. Elevated restriction in a specific feeling may indicate an area for further assessment or discussion.
WHAT THE TEST MEASURES
About This Assessment
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Prohibition on Expressing Feelings Test - Symptoms and Signs
This self-report measure assesses attitudes and prohibitions related to emotional expression. Prohibition on Expressing Feelings is administered as a brief questionnaire focused on the extent to which an individual tends to restrict the outward expression of common emotions (e.g., sadness, anger, fear, and joy). It was developed by James J. Gross, Peter Salovey, and John D. Mayer.
The instrument contains 25 items and typically requires about 5 minutes to complete. Responses are used to characterize relative tendencies to inhibit or permit emotional expression across domains, which may inform clinical formulation or research on emotion regulation patterns. Prohibition on Expressing Feelings is intended as an adjunct to broader assessment and should be interpreted in context with other clinical information.
Author: James J. Gross, John D. Mayer, Peter Salovey
Literature: Gross, J. J. Emotion regulation: Conceptual and empirical foundations. In J. J. Gross (Ed.), Handbook of emotion regulation. Guilford Press. 2014.
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