Home
Psychological tests
Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS)

Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS) Test

Understand how you experience pleasure both in anticipation and in the moment in about 4 minutes. 18 quick items give clear insights to support therapy, coaching, or research.

Start Online Test

Questions: 184 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

23,844 views

1,297 completions

1,046 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

4/6

Anticipatory Pleasure (AP)

Measures how strongly a person typically feels positive emotion when anticipating future enjoyable events or rewards.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 2.8: Low | 2.9 – 4.4: Moderate | 4.5 – 6: High

A score of 4 indicates a moderate tendency to experience pleasure in anticipation, suggesting generally present but not consistently strong positive anticipation of upcoming rewarding events.

example score

3/6

Consummatory Pleasure (CP)

Measures how strongly a person experiences pleasure and positive emotion in the moment of a rewarding or enjoyable event.

Lower in-the-moment pleasure

Moderate in-the-moment pleasure

Higher in-the-moment pleasure

1 – 3.6: Lower in-the-moment pleasure | 3.6 – 5.3: Moderate in-the-moment pleasure | 5.3 – 6: Higher in-the-moment pleasure

A score of 3 indicates a lower tendency to feel strong enjoyment during pleasurable experiences compared with typical in-the-moment responses.

Start Online Test

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Low mood and burnout

41%OF USERS

People who feel emotionally flat, unmotivated, or burned out take it to see whether the problem is in anticipating pleasure, enjoying it in the moment, or both.

Therapy progress trackers

34%OF USERS

Clients in psychotherapy or coaching use it to monitor changes in how rewarding life feels over time and to guide next steps.

Psychology students and researchers

25%OF USERS

Students and researchers take it to study reward processing and compare anticipatory versus in-the-moment pleasure 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
an AI Therapist

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

Start Online Test

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.

Anticipatory Pleasure (Ant) (AP()

Average

3.8

Normal range

3.1 — 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.

Consummatory Pleasure (Con) (CP()

Average

4.3

Normal range

3.6 — 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.

Start Online Test

Featured On

CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures two aspects of pleasure: enjoyment while looking forward to a positive event and enjoyment during the event itself. These two scores reflect anticipatory and in-the-moment positive experience.

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

Completion time is about 4 minutes. The questionnaire contains 18 statements.

How should responses be selected?

Rate each statement based on typical experience rather than a single recent event. Use the full response range and choose the option that best fits.

What do the results mean?

Scores indicate the relative strength of pleasure in anticipation and in the moment. Results are used to describe patterns of positive experience and may be tracked over time.

Is this a diagnostic tool?

No, it does not provide a diagnosis by itself. Results should be interpreted along with other clinical or research information.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

pleasure

This self-report measure assesses individual differences in hedonic capacity across time, distinguishing anticipatory pleasure (enjoyment related to expecting future positive experiences) from consummatory pleasure (enjoyment during the experience itself). The Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS) is commonly used in clinical and research settings to characterize patterns of pleasure responsivity that may be relevant to motivation and affective functioning.

The instrument includes 18 items and typically requires about 4 minutes to complete. Respondents rate how well statements describe their usual reactions to potentially enjoyable situations, yielding separate indices for anticipatory and consummatory pleasure. The Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS) was developed by G. P. John, D. M. Gard, D. H. Gard, and J. P. Kring and is intended to support screening, baseline characterization, and outcome monitoring when interpreted in conjunction with other clinical information.

Author: D. H. Gard, D. M. Gard, G. P. John, J. P. Kring

Literature: Gard, D. E., Gard, M. G., Kring, A. M., & John, O. P. Anticipatory and consummatory components of the experience of pleasure: a scale development study. Journal of Research in Personality. 2006.

Test Question Form