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Threatened Needs Scale – Ostracism

Threatened Needs Scale – Ostracism Test

Understand how ostracism impacts teens and young adults in 4 minutes. With 20 quick items, it pinpoints hits to belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaning for targeted support.

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Questions: 204 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

10,685 views

1,013 completions

883 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

3/5

Meaningful Existence (ME)

Measures how strongly a person’s sense of meaningful existence and personal significance feels frustrated after experiences of ostracism.

Low frustration

Moderate frustration

High frustration

1 – 1.9: Low frustration | 2 – 3.2: Moderate frustration | 3.3 – 5: High frustration

A score of 3 indicates a moderate level of frustration in meaningful existence, suggesting some difficulty feeling significant or recognized by others in the context of ostracism.

example score

2/5

Control (C)

Measures how much ostracism is disrupting a person’s sense of control over their social environment and ability to influence what is happening.

Low frustration

Moderate frustration

High frustration

1 – 1.7: Low frustration | 1.8 – 2.8: Moderate frustration | 2.9 – 5: High frustration

A score of 2 indicates a moderate level of control-need frustration, suggesting some difficulty feeling influential in social situations after experiences of being ignored or excluded.

example score

3/5

Self-Esteem (SE)

Measures how strongly ostracism is frustrating the person’s need for self-respect and feeling valued by others.

Low frustration

Moderate frustration

High frustration

1 – 1.9: Low frustration | 2 – 3.2: Moderate frustration | 3.3 – 5: High frustration

A score of 3 falls in the Moderate frustration range, suggesting some challenge maintaining self-worth and feeling valued in the context of ostracism.

example score

3/5

Acceptance (A)

Measures the degree to which the need for acceptance feels frustrated following experiences of ostracism.

Low frustration

Moderate frustration

High frustration

1 – 1.7: Low frustration | 1.8 – 3: Moderate frustration | 3.1 – 5: High frustration

A score of 3 indicates moderate frustration of the need for acceptance, suggesting some perceived lack of support or inclusion in the context of ostracism.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Bullied or excluded students

41%OF USERS

Teens and young adults who feel ignored, left out, or bullied use it to see which basic needs (belonging, self-esteem, control, meaning) were hit hardest.

School and college counselors

34%OF USERS

Counselors and psychologists use it for a quick check-in after conflicts or peer rejection to guide targeted support.

Youth mental health researchers

25%OF USERS

Researchers studying peer relations and social stress use it to quantify how ostracism threatens key psychological needs over time or across groups.

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

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
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Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

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.

in a meaningful existence (iame)

Average

3.9

Normal range

3.3 — 4.5

min.

max.

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.

in control (ic)

Average

2.5

Normal range

2 — 3.1

min.

max.

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.

in self-respect (is)

Average

2.6

Normal range

2 — 3.3

min.

max.

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.

in acceptance (ia)

Average

2.9

Normal range

2.4 — 3.4

min.

max.

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.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire assess?

It assesses how much core psychological needs feel threatened after being excluded or ignored. It covers belonging, self-esteem, perceived control, and sense of meaning.

Who is the questionnaire intended for?

It is intended for adolescents and young adults. It can be used in clinical and research settings.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

Completion typically takes about 4 minutes. The questionnaire includes 20 items.

What time frame should responses reflect?

Responses should reflect the effects of a specific recent episode of social exclusion when possible. If no single episode is identified, responses may reflect typical reactions to such experiences.

How are the results used?

Results indicate the overall level of need frustration and highlight which needs are most affected. They can support monitoring of social stress and help guide targeted support planning.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Threatened Needs Scale – Ostracism Test - Symptoms and Signs

bullying frustration social alienation

This self-report measure evaluates perceived threat to basic psychological needs following experiences of social exclusion or being ignored. The Threatened Needs Scale - Ostracism is intended to quantify subjective impact across core need domains commonly affected by ostracism.

The measure consists of 20 items and typically requires about 4 minutes to complete. Items ask respondents to rate current feelings related to belongingness, self-esteem, perceived control, and meaningful existence in the context of an ostracism experience.

The Threatened Needs Scale - Ostracism may be used in clinical or research settings to characterize need-threat severity, support case formulation, and monitor change over time; interpretation should be integrated with clinical interview and other relevant measures. The original measure is attributed to Kipling D. Williams.

Author: Kipling D. Williams, roy-f-baumeister

Literature: Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin. 1995.; Van Beest, I., & Williams, K. D. When inclusion costs and ostracism pays, ostracism still hurts. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2006.

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