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Self and Interpersonal Functioning Scale (SIFS)3

Self and Interpersonal Functioning Scale (SIFS) Test

Understand the depth of personality and relationship functioning in about 5 minutes. A brief 24 item scale grounded in DSM 5 concepts to guide clinical focus and treatment planning.

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Questions: 245 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

18,124 views

1,870 completions

1,553 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

1/4

Need for Trusting Relationships (NfTR)

Measures how strongly a person seeks and sustains trusting, close relationships characterized by intimacy and mutual respect.

Low need for trust

Moderate need for trust

High need for trust

0 – 1.3: Low need for trust | 1.4 – 2.5: Moderate need for trust | 2.6 – 4: High need for trust

A score of 1 falls in the low range, suggesting a relatively limited desire or comfort for forming deep, enduring trusting bonds.

example score

1/4

Empathy (E)

Empathy measures how well a person understands and respects others’ feelings and motives and considers the impact of their behavior on others.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1.3: Low | 1.3 – 2.5: Moderate | 2.5 – 4: High

A score of 1 falls in the Low range, suggesting reduced sensitivity to others’ perspectives and less consistent consideration of how one’s actions affect people around them.

example score

2/4

Self-Direction (SD)

Measures the ability to set and pursue meaningful goals, follow internal standards, and reflect productively on one’s behavior.

Low self-direction

Moderate self-direction

High self-direction

0 – 1.9: Low self-direction | 1.9 – 2.5: Moderate self-direction | 2.5 – 4: High self-direction

A score of 2 indicates moderate self-direction, suggesting some capacity to set goals and self-regulate, with occasional difficulties maintaining consistent direction or follow-through.

example score

2/4

Self-Awareness (SA)

Self-awareness reflects how well a person recognizes their emotions and motives, maintains stable self-esteem, and regulates emotional experiences.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1.9: Low | 1.9 – 2.5: Moderate | 2.5 – 4: High

A score of 2 indicates a moderate level of self-awareness, suggesting some stability in self-understanding and emotion regulation with occasional difficulties.

example score

2/4

Severity Index (SI)

The Severity Index summarizes the overall level of difficulties in personality and interpersonal functioning.

Mild

Moderate

High

0 – 1.9: Mild | 1.9 – 2.5: Moderate | 2.5 – 4: High

A score of 2 indicates a moderate level of overall personality functioning difficulties on this scale.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People in rocky relationships

41%OF USERS

They take it to understand patterns behind recurring conflicts, trust issues, or difficulties with closeness and support.

Clients starting therapy

34%OF USERS

They use it to quickly map strengths and problem areas in self-understanding, goals, and empathy before deeper work.

Clinicians doing quick screening

25%OF USERS

They administer it to estimate the severity of personality functioning issues and choose what to focus on in treatment planning.

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.

Need for trust in relationships (Nftir)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.5 — 3

min.

max.

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.

Empathy (E)

Average

1.4

Normal range

1 — 1.9

min.

max.

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.

Self-Direction (S)

Average

2.2

Normal range

1.7 — 2.8

min.

max.

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.

Self-awareness (S)

Average

1.9

Normal range

1.3 — 2.5

min.

max.

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.

Severity Index (SI)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.7 — 2.9

min.

max.

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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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

This questionnaire consists of 24 statements about you and your relationships with other people. Please rate how closely each statement describes you. Respond spontaneously, based on your own impression. There are no right or wrong answers; the goal is to understand how you see yourself.

- The statement does not describe me at all
- The statement barely describes me
- The statement moderately describes me
- The statement largely describes me
- The statement completely describes me
- The statement does not describe me at all
- The statement barely describes me
- The statement moderately describes me
- The statement largely describes me
- The statement completely describes me
- The statement does not describe me at all
- The statement barely describes me
- The statement moderately describes me
- The statement largely describes me
- The statement completely describes me

These are 3 of the 24 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Scale of Personality and Interpersonal Functioning, SIFS Test

Self and Interpersonal Functioning Scale (SIFS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

psychopathology

personality disorder

This brief self-report measure supports rapid screening of self and interpersonal functioning. The Self and Interpersonal Functioning Scale (SIFS) is designed to characterize the severity of difficulties relevant to personality functioning in clinical contexts.

It includes 24 items and typically takes about 5 minutes to complete. Items sample four broad domains: self-awareness, self-direction, empathy, and capacity for close, mutually supportive relationships.

In applied settings, the Self and Interpersonal Functioning Scale (SIFS) may be used to inform case formulation, support treatment planning, and monitor change over time, with results interpreted in conjunction with clinical interview and other assessment data.

Author: Aaron T. Beck, Theodore Millon

Literature: Widiger, T. A., & Simonsen, E. Alternative dimensional models of personality disorder: Finding a common ground. Journal of Personality Disorders. 2005.; Bender, D. S., Morey, L. C., & Skodol, A. E. Toward a model for assessing level of personality functioning in DSM–5, part I: A review of theory and methods. Journal of Personality Assessment. 2011.; Gamache, D., Savard, C., Leclerc, P., & Côté, A. A proposed classification of ICD-11 severity degrees of personality pathology using the self and interpersonal functioning scale. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2021.