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Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS)3

Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) Test

Understand what drives your engagement in a specific moment in just 3 minutes. This quick 16 item snapshot clarifies motivation types to guide coaching, learning, or team performance.

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Questions: 163 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

24,278 views

2,374 completions

1,981 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

23/28

Amotivation (A)

Amotivation measures the extent to which a person feels a lack of intention or purpose to engage in the activity in the current situation.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 11: Low | 12 – 19: Moderate | 20 – 28: High

A score of 23 falls in the High range, suggesting the activity currently feels less meaningful or worth the effort, with reduced intention to engage.

example score

10/28

External Regulation (ER)

Measures how strongly your engagement in the activity is driven by external demands, rewards, or avoidance of negative consequences.

Low external regulation

Moderate external regulation

High external regulation

4 – 12: Low external regulation | 13 – 20: Moderate external regulation | 21 – 28: High external regulation

A score of 10 indicates low external regulation, suggesting your involvement is only minimally influenced by outside pressure or rewards in this situation.

example score

26/28

Identified Regulation (IR)

Identified regulation measures how strongly you engage in an activity because its goal feels personally important and aligned with your values.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 12: Low | 13 – 20: Moderate | 21 – 28: High

A score of 26 indicates high identified regulation, suggesting you are currently driven mainly by the personally meaningful outcomes of the activity rather than external pressure or enjoyment of the process.

example score

16/28

Intrinsic Motivation (IM)

Measures how strongly a person is motivated to engage in an activity for enjoyment and personal interest in the process itself.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 12: Low | 13 – 20: Moderate | 21 – 28: High

A score of 16 indicates a moderate level of intrinsic motivation, suggesting some enjoyment and personal engagement in the activity alongside other possible drivers.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Students and learners

41%OF USERS

People in school, college, or courses use it to see what’s driving them to study or complete a specific assignment right now.

Managers and HR specialists

34%OF USERS

Leaders take it to understand what motivates employees in a particular task or project and adjust incentives or support.

Coaching and therapy clients

25%OF USERS

People working on goals use it to clarify whether their current effort comes from enjoyment, values, pressure, or a lack of purpose.

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.

Amotivation (A)

Average

10.1

Normal range

6.2 — 14

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.

External Regulation (ER)

Average

14.7

Normal range

11 — 18.3

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.

Identified Regulation (IR)

Average

17.8

Normal range

14.1 — 21.5

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.

Intrinsic motivation (Im)

Average

11.5

Normal range

7.4 — 15.7

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

- Not at all true
- Untrue
- Rather untrue
- Neither true nor untrue
- Rather true
- True
- Exactly true
- Not at all true
- Not true
- Somewhat not true
- Neither true nor false
- Somewhat true
- True
- Completely true
- Not at all true
- Untrue
- Somewhat untrue
- Neither true nor untrue
- Somewhat true
- True
- Exactly true

These are 3 of the 16 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

Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

self-determination

work motivation

This measure is designed to assess an individual’s momentary reasons for engaging in a specific activity. The Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) provides a brief self-report snapshot of current motivational orientation in a given context.

The instrument includes 16 items and typically takes about 3 minutes to complete. Respondents rate statements reflecting distinct types of regulation commonly described within self-determination theory (e.g., intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, external regulation, and amotivation). Scores are used to characterize the relative prominence of these motivational states at the time of assessment and may support clinical, educational, coaching, or organizational case formulation when interpreted alongside other sources of information.

The Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) was developed by Luc G. Pelletier.

Author: Edward L. Deci, Luc G. Pelletier, Richard M. Ryan, Robert J. Vallerand

Literature: Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Plenum Press. 1985.; Guay, F., Vallerand, R. J., & Blanchard, C. On the assessment of situational intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: The Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS). Motivation and Emotion. 2000.