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Psychological Essentialism Scale Test

Understand how strongly you see group identity as inborn and fixed in about 2 minutes. This 7 item scale gives clear, actionable insight to support research, bias work, and better communication.
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Questions: 72 minutes
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08:30
October 2, 2025
October 2, 2025
Material has been updated
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How the Scales are Structured
example score
20/49
Psychological Essentialism (PE)
Measures the extent to which a person views social group membership as having an innate, unchangeable essence.
Low essentialism
Moderate essentialism
High essentialism
7 – 20: Low essentialism | 21 – 34: Moderate essentialism | 35 – 49: High essentialism
A score of 20 falls in the Low essentialism range, suggesting a relatively flexible view of group categories as less biologically fixed or immutable.
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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS
Who Usually Takes This Test?
Students in social sciences
41%OF USERS
They take it to understand how beliefs about fixed group identity relate to prejudice, stereotyping, and intergroup attitudes.
Diversity and inclusion practitioners
34%OF USERS
They use it to gauge how rigidly people view group boundaries so they can tailor training and conflict-reduction efforts.
Researchers in intergroup relations
25%OF USERS
They administer it as a quick measure of essentialist thinking when studying identity, belonging, and social categorization.
BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.
RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE
What You’ll See After You Finish the Test
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Used in 52+ countries
Benchmarking
See How You Compare
Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.
Psychological Essentialism Scale (PES)
Average
23.3
Normal range
16.7 — 30
min.
7
max.
49
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions

Any questions left?

What does this questionnaire measure?
It measures beliefs about whether group membership reflects an inborn, stable “essence.” It captures the extent to which social categories are seen as fixed and biologically based.
How should responses be selected?
Select the option that best reflects the level of agreement with each statement. Use the full range of response options when appropriate.
How long does it take and how many items are included?
Completion typically takes about 2 minutes. The questionnaire includes 7 items.
Are there right or wrong answers?
No. Responses reflect personal beliefs and perceptions rather than factual knowledge.
How should the results be interpreted?
Higher scores indicate a stronger tendency to view group differences as innate and unchangeable. Lower scores indicate a weaker tendency to view group identity as essential and fixed.
WHAT THE TEST MEASURES
About This Assessment

Psychological Essentialism Scale Test

group identity

This brief self-report measure assesses beliefs about whether social groups have an inherent, underlying “essence” that is stable over time. The Psychological Essentialism Scale is used to characterize the degree to which respondents view group membership as natural, immutable, and potentially biologically grounded. It was developed by Susan A. Gelman and Lawrence J. Hirschfeld.

The instrument contains 7 items and typically takes about 2 minutes to complete. Scores from the Psychological Essentialism Scale are commonly interpreted as an index of essentialist thinking about social categories and may be used in research or applied settings focused on intergroup attitudes and related sociocognitive beliefs.

Author: Lawrence J. Hirschfeld, Susan A. Gelman
Literature: Haslam, N., Rothschild, L., & Ernst, D. Are essentialist beliefs associated with prejudice? British Journal of Social Psychology. 2002.
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