Transgressive Motivation Test

Understand how you respond to hurt in relationships in just 3 minutes, from holding a grudge to forgiving. A quick 12 question check-in that supports counseling, coaching, and conflict repair.

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Questions: 123 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

20,030 views

2,067 completions

1,791 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

12/25

Vindictiveness (V)

Measures how strongly a person tends to seek revenge or hold grudges after being hurt in a relationship.

Low

Moderate

High

5 – 11: Low | 12 – 13: Moderate | 14 – 25: High

A score of 12 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting some vengeful thoughts may arise after being hurt, but they are not strongly dominant.

example score

25/35

Desire to Avoid the Offender (DtAtO)

Measures the tendency to distance oneself from a person who caused hurt and to minimize further contact after a conflict.

Low avoidance

Moderate avoidance

High avoidance

7 – 17: Low avoidance | 18 – 22: Moderate avoidance | 23 – 35: High avoidance

A score of 25 falls in the High avoidance range, suggesting a pronounced inclination to keep distance from the offender and limit interaction after being hurt.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Hurt in close relationships

41%OF USERS

People dealing with a recent conflict with a partner, friend, or family member who want to understand whether they lean toward distancing, forgiveness, or revenge.

Therapy and counseling clients

34%OF USERS

Clients using the test with a psychologist or counselor to clarify their conflict coping style and guide emotional regulation or reconciliation work.

Workplace conflict managers

25%OF USERS

Managers, HR specialists, or mediators who want a quick snapshot of how team members handle grievances to support healthier resolution strategies.

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.

Vindictiveness (V)

Average

17.6

Normal range

15 — 20.1

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.

Avoidance of the Offender (AotO)

Average

15.3

Normal range

10.7 — 20

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

Recall a person who has recently hurt or offended you, and then answer the questions. Identify the feelings you are currently experiencing toward the person who hurt or offended you. Select the response option that best indicates the extent to which you agree with each statement.

- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Indifferent
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neutral
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree

These are 3 of the 12 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

Transgressive Motivation Test - Symptoms and Signs

advantages

positive psychology

forgiveness

guilt

This brief self-report measure is used to characterize dispositional responses following interpersonal offense. The Transgressive Motivation Test assesses patterns of motivation that may shape conflict behavior in close or work relationships.

It consists of 12 items and typically takes about 3 minutes to complete. Items are designed to capture two core tendencies: avoidance of the offender and revenge-related motivation, supporting a focused clinical discussion of forgiveness-related processes and ongoing interpersonal strain.

Scores from the Transgressive Motivation Test can be used as adjunctive information in counseling, psychotherapy, or research to inform case formulation around reconciliation, boundary-setting, and emotion regulation after hurtful interactions. Results should be interpreted in context with clinical interview data and relevant measures rather than as a standalone indicator.

Author: Marvin Zuckerman

Literature: Seligman, M. E. P. Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. Free Press. 2002.; Diener, E., Oishi, S., & Lucas, R. E. Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and life satisfaction. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology. Oxford University Press. 2002.; McCullough, M. E., Rachal, K. C., Sandage, S. J., Worthington, E. L., Brown, S. W., & Hight, T. L. Interpersonal forgiving in close relationships: II. Theoretical elaboration and measurement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1998.

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