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Subjective Alienation From Academic Work Test

Understand how disconnected a student feels from schoolwork and related life areas in 9 minutes. Pinpoints key patterns like shutdown, helplessness, nihilism, or thrill seeking to guide support fast.

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Questions: 489 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

28,501 view

3,360 completions

2,975 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

63/100

Subjective Alienation From Academic Work (SAFAW)

Measures how disconnected and disengaged a student feels from academic work and learning activities.

Low alienation

Moderate alienation

High alienation

0 – 33: Low alienation | 34 – 66: Moderate alienation | 67 – 100: High alienation

A score of 63 falls in the Moderate alienation range, suggesting noticeable detachment from studying with reduced interest and engagement at times.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Disengaged university students

44%OF USERS

Students who feel bored, exhausted, or detached from classes take it to understand whether they are simply unmotivated or experiencing deeper alienation.

Academic counselors and psychologists

33%OF USERS

Campus mental health professionals use it to quickly pinpoint which areas of study and student life are driving withdrawal, helplessness, or nihilism.

Concerned instructors and advisors

23%OF USERS

Teachers and academic advisors use it to spot early warning signs of burnout or isolation and choose appropriate support or referrals.

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.

Subjective alienation from academic work (Safaw)

Average

65.8

Normal range

47 — 84.7

min.

max.

100

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

Below is a list of statements with which you may agree or disagree. Please read each statement and indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree based on your own views and beliefs by selecting one of the response options provided. When choosing your answer, please keep in mind that the statements reflect a range of perspectives; there are no “good” or “bad,” “right” or “wrong” responses. How your friends, acquaintances, or relatives evaluate (or have evaluated) these statements is not of interest; only your personal opinion is important.

- Absolutely agree
- Agree
- Rather agree than disagree
- Difficult to answer
- Rather disagree than agree
- Disagree
- Completely disagree
- Completely agree
- Agree
- Agree more than disagree
- Not sure
- Disagree more than agree
- Disagree
- Completely disagree
- Completely agree
- Agree
- Rather agree than disagree
- Not sure
- Rather disagree than agree
- Disagree
- Completely disagree

These are 3 of the 48 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

Subjective Alienation From Academic Work Test - Symptoms and Signs

existential psychology

alienation

This measure assesses a student’s perceived disconnection from academic work and related aspects of school life. The Subjective Alienation From Academic Work is intended to clarify the severity and areas in which alienation is experienced, supporting problem identification in educational and counseling contexts.

The instrument consists of 48 items and typically requires about 9 minutes to complete. It provides a multidimensional profile that can help differentiate patterns of disengagement (e.g., passivity, helplessness, meaninglessness, or sensation-seeking orientations) across academic, interpersonal, and self-related domains. Developed by Robert J. Vallerand, the Subjective Alienation From Academic Work may be used to inform case conceptualization and guide follow-up assessment or intervention planning; results should be interpreted in conjunction with clinical interview, academic context, and other relevant data.

Author: Robert J. Vallerand

Literature: Finn, J. D. Withdrawing from school. Review of Educational Research. 1989.