Existential Motivations Test

In seven minutes, the Existential Motivations Test guides you through 36 questions about meaning, self-worth, relationships, freedom, and security. Your profile can highlight how these fundamental motivations are experienced today, offering a focused starting point for self-reflection and a clearer view of your existential strengths and tensions.

Questions: 367 minutes

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October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Value in the FutureVitF

Measures how well a person perceives their actions and goals as meaningful and valuable in the long term, supporting purpose and life direction.

example score5/12

5/12Low future valueexample score

3 – 6Low future value

7 – 9Moderate future value

10 – 12High future value

A score of 5 indicates low future value, suggesting long-term meaning and direction are currently less salient and may be harder to connect to everyday actions.

Involvement in RelationshipsIiR

This scale measures how actively a person engages in social and personal relationships that support belonging and meaning.

example score8/12

8/12Moderate involvementexample score

3 – 6Low involvement

7 – 9Moderate involvement

10 – 12High involvement

A score of 8 indicates moderate involvement in relationships, suggesting generally consistent participation with some room to deepen connection or engagement when needed.

Opportunities for ActionOfA

Measures the perceived availability of space and possibilities for self-realization and active participation in life that support a sense of meaning and significance.

example score10/12

10/12Abundant opportunitiesexample score

3 – 6Limited opportunities

7 – 9Adequate opportunities

10 – 12Abundant opportunities

A score of 10 indicates you generally perceive abundant opportunities to act and realize yourself, supporting engagement and a stronger sense of meaning in daily life.

Fundamental Motivation 4: Meaning in LifeFM4MiL

Measures how strongly a person experiences and pursues life purpose through future-oriented values, relationships, and activities.

example score17/36

17/36Lower meaningexample score

9 – 19Lower meaning

20 – 31Moderate meaning

32 – 36Higher meaning

A score of 17 falls in the Lower meaning range, suggesting purpose and future-oriented engagement may feel less defined or less consistently accessible right now.

Recognition of ValueRoV

Measures the extent to which you accept your own uniqueness and significance, supporting authenticity and inner resilience.

example score9/12

9/12Moderate acknowledgmentexample score

3 – 6Lower acknowledgment

7 – 9Moderate acknowledgment

10 – 12Stronger acknowledgment

A score of 9 indicates a generally solid acceptance of your own value, with some room to further strengthen stable self-recognition across situations.

Fair AttitudeFA

Measures how strongly a person experiences fairness and justice in relation to themselves and others as part of maintaining dignity and inner honesty.

example score9/12

9/12Moderateexample score

3 – 6Low

7 – 9Moderate

10 – 12High

A score of 9 indicates a moderate sense of fair treatment, suggesting you generally perceive justice and reciprocity but may notice inconsistencies in some situations.

Interested AttentionIA

Focused Attention measures how well you notice and care for your own feelings and needs in a way that supports self-respect.

example score9/12

9/12Moderateexample score

3 – 6Low

7 – 9Moderate

10 – 12High

A score of 9 indicates a moderate level of focused attention, suggesting you often tune into your feelings and needs and usually respond to them in supportive ways.

Fundamental Motivation 3: Self-WorthFM3SW

FM-3 Self-Worth measures the extent to which a person feels self-acceptance, authenticity, and deserving of fair treatment as a basis for self-respect and inner harmony.

example score23/36

23/36Lowexample score

9 – 23Low

24 – 32Moderate

33 – 36High

A score of 23 falls in the Low range, suggesting self-worth is less consistently supported and may be more sensitive to external evaluation or unfair treatment.

IntimacyI

Closeness measures emotional involvement and the capacity to form deep interpersonal connections that support joy and existential fulfillment.

example score7/12

7/12Moderate closenessexample score

3 – 6Low closeness

7 – 9Moderate closeness

10 – 12High closeness

A score of 7 indicates moderate closeness, suggesting a generally present ability for emotional involvement and deeper connection that may still fluctuate by context.

TimeT

Time reflects how consistently you attend to meaningful relationships and significant events, supporting a sense of richness and value in life.

example score5/12

5/12Limited focusexample score

3 – 6Limited focus

7 – 9Developing focus

10 – 12Strong focus

A score of 5 falls in the Limited focus range, suggesting you may often have difficulty sustaining attention to important relationships and events that contribute to existential fulfillment.

RelatednessR

Coherence measures how well you create meaningful connections with other people and values that support belonging and purpose.

example score9/12

9/12Moderate coherenceexample score

3 – 6Low coherence

7 – 9Moderate coherence

10 – 12High coherence

A score of 9 suggests moderately strong coherence, with generally meaningful relationships and values that support a sense of belonging and purpose.

Fundamental ValueFV

FM-2 assesses the extent to which a person experiences joy of life and satisfaction with existence through perceived quality of life, meaning, time, and closeness.

example score32/36

32/36Highexample score

9 – 19Low

20 – 29Moderate

30 – 36High

A score of 32 falls in the High range, suggesting a strong sense of fundamental value expressed as generally satisfying, meaningful living and a felt closeness to life here and now.

SpaceS

Space reflects how much physical and psychological room you experience for autonomy, freedom, and choice in life.

example score7/12

7/12Adequate spaceexample score

3 – 6Restricted space

7 – 9Adequate space

10 – 12Expansive space

A score of 7 suggests a generally adequate sense of room and freedom, with some situations still feeling limiting for autonomous choice.

Sense of SecuritySoS

Measures the extent to which you feel safe and accepted in society and close relationships, supporting trust in the world and self-confidence.

example score7/12

7/12Moderate securityexample score

3 – 6Low security

7 – 9Moderate security

10 – 12High security

A score of 7 indicates a moderate sense of safety and acceptance, with some areas where security may feel less stable or consistent.

SupportS

Support measures how stable and dependable your inner beliefs and external structures feel as foundations you can rely on in life.

example score7/12

7/12Moderate supportexample score

3 – 6Limited support

7 – 9Moderate support

10 – 12Strong support

A score of 7 suggests a moderate sense of stable foundations, with some reliable supports present but also room to strengthen consistency and security.

Fundamental TrustFT

Measures the extent to which you feel basic safety, support, and freedom of choice in the world (a sense of “I can”).

example score21/36

21/36Moderateexample score

9 – 19Low

20 – 29Moderate

30 – 36High

A score of 21 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a generally present sense of safety and support with some situations where confidence and perceived room for choice may fluctuate.

Existential FulfillmentEF

Measures how fully your core existential motivations—freedom of choice, valuing life, self-worth, and meaning—are realized as an overall sense of harmony with life.

example score111/144

111/144Moderate fulfillmentexample score

36 – 85Low fulfillment

86 – 119Moderate fulfillment

120 – 144High fulfillment

A score of 111 falls in the Moderate fulfillment range, suggesting a generally supportive sense of connection and authenticity with some areas where existential balance could be strengthened.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People seeking life meaning

41%OF USERS

They feel stuck or empty and want a clearer picture of what gives their life depth, direction, and inner balance.

Therapy and coaching clients

34%OF USERS

They use the results with a therapist or coach to pinpoint which core motivations are underfulfilled and set concrete growth goals.

Couples and close partners

25%OF USERS

They take the relationship-focused version to see how their connection supports or blocks safety, value, and shared meaning.

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.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

Value in the FutureVitF

You?

Average9.7

Typical rangeTypical8.2 – 11.3

Possible3 – 12

Engagement in RelationshipsEiR

You?

Average9.2

Typical rangeTypical7.9 – 10.4

Possible3 – 12

Opportunities for ActivityOfA

You?

Average6.9

Typical rangeTypical5.3 – 8.6

Possible3 – 12

FM-4: The Meaning of LifeFTMoL

You?

Average26.5

Typical rangeTypical22.8 – 30.2

Possible9 – 36

Acknowledging ValueAV

You?

Average6.1

Typical rangeTypical4.9 – 7.4

Possible3 – 12

Fair TreatmentFT

You?

Average9.3

Typical rangeTypical7.9 – 10.8

Possible3 – 12

Focused AttentionFA

You?

Average9.1

Typical rangeTypical7.7 – 10.5

Possible3 – 12

FM-3: Self-WorthFS

You?

Average24.3

Typical rangeTypical20.6 – 28

Possible9 – 36

ClosenessC

You?

Average7.7

Typical rangeTypical6.3 – 9.1

Possible3 – 12

TimeT

You?

Average8

Typical rangeTypical6.6 – 9.4

Possible3 – 12

CorrelationC

You?

Average5.8

Typical rangeTypical4.4 – 7.1

Possible3 – 12

FM-2: Fundamental ValueFFV

You?

Average24.9

Typical rangeTypical21 – 28.7

Possible9 – 36

SpaceS

You?

Average5.3

Typical rangeTypical3.8 – 6.8

Possible3 – 12

SecurityS

You?

Average7.2

Typical rangeTypical5.7 – 8.6

Possible3 – 12

SupportS

You?

Average9

Typical rangeTypical7.7 – 10.4

Possible3 – 12

FM-1: Fundamental TrustFFT

You?

Average23.3

Typical rangeTypical19.9 – 26.8

Possible9 – 36

Existential FulfillmentEF

You?

Average101.8

Typical rangeTypical87.2 – 116.4

Possible36 – 144

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Does not apply at all
- Mostly does not apply
- Mostly applies
- Completely applies
- Does not describe me at all
- Mostly does not describe me
- Mostly describes me
- Describes me completely
- Not true at all
- Rather not true
- Rather true
- Completely true

These are 3 of the 36 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Existential Motivations Test - Description and methodology of the test

existential psychology

fulfillment

meaningfulness

For readers reflecting on meaning, freedom, belonging, or inner stability, the Existential Motivations Test offers a structured way to examine how existential concerns are experienced in everyday life. It supports personal reflection while preserving a multidimensional view of experience. As an existential motivation assessment, it can help identify areas that feel supported, constrained, valued, or uncertain.

What the Questionnaire Measures

The questionnaire maps existential functioning through attention, connection, future significance, participation, self-worth, fairness, closeness, safety, support, space, and action. Drawing on existential psychology, its questions show how conditions relate to belonging, authenticity, choice, and meaning.

The displayed result groups these themes into four fundamental motivations and an overall index:

Fundamental Trust (9-36) reflects basic safety, support, and space for free choice: Low 9-19, Moderate 20-29, High 30-36.
Fundamental Value (9-36) reflects joy and satisfaction with existence: Low 9-19, Moderate 20-29, High 30-36.
Fundamental Motivation 3: Self-Worth (9-36) reflects self-acceptance, authenticity, and fair treatment: Low 9-23, Moderate 24-32, High 33-36.
Fundamental Motivation 4: Meaning in Life (9-36) reflects seeking and realizing meaning in broader life contexts: Lower 9-19, Moderate 20-31, Higher 32-36.
Existential Fulfillment (36-144) integrates all four, measuring harmonious existential functioning and authentic decision-making: Low 36-85, Moderate 86-119, High 120-144.

Methodology and Evidence Base

In the presented items, each statement uses four graded response options, moving from disagreement or non-applicability toward full agreement or applicability. The items address supportive experiences and difficulties, while scoring combines responses into component results, four fundamental motivations, and the overall Existential Fulfillment index. The response format supports nuanced gradations, but it does not reveal why a respondent chose a particular answer.

As a meaning in life questionnaire, it connects everyday perceptions with the existential conditions that make choice, relationship, self-acceptance, and purposeful action possible. The Test of Existential Motivations is the conceptually consistent published instrument; this questionnaire is an online self-reflection tool, not a standardized adaptation or reproduction of that instrument. A later version by Shumskiy, Osin, and Ukolova provides additional documentation.

The conceptual framework is consistent with Längle’s model of existential fundamental motivations. Its scoring has not been standardized against norms for this online version, so the bands are descriptive rather than clinical cutoffs; mood, circumstances, response style, and self-awareness can influence results, and the most useful reading considers which areas feel available now and which deserve further reflection.

Author: James C. Crumbaugh, Rollo May, Viktor E. Frankl

Literature:

Shumskiy, V. B., Ukolova, E. M., Osin, E. N., & Lupandina, Y. D. (2016). Measuring Existential Fulfillment: An Original Russian Version of Test of Existential Motivations. Psychology. Journal of the Higher School of Economics, 13(4), 763-788. 10.17323/1813-8918-2016-4-763-788
Shumskiy, V. B., Osin, E. N., & Ukolova, E. M. (2017). Psychometrics in Pursuit of Existence: A New Version of the Test of Existential Motivations. Existenzanalyse, 34(2), 123-138.
Längle, A. (2004). The Search for Meaning in Life and the Existential Fundamental Motivations. International Journal of Existential Psychology & Psychotherapy, 1(1), 28-37.

Updated: 2025-10-02