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Success and Failure Explanatory Style Questionnaire

Success and Failure Explanatory Style Questionnaire Test

Learn how you explain wins and setbacks in work and relationships, and how optimistic and in control you feel in about 9 minutes. Get focused, actionable results to strengthen motivation, confidence, and coping.

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Questions: 489 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

21,683 views

2,569 completions

2,116 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

102/120

Interpersonal Optimism (IO)

Measures how positively and constructively a person explains successes and failures in relationships with others.

Lower optimism

Moderate optimism

Higher optimism

20 – 75: Lower optimism | 76 – 96: Moderate optimism | 97 – 120: Higher optimism

A score of 102 falls in the Higher optimism range, suggesting a generally positive and constructive explanatory style in interpersonal situations.

example score

63/168

Optimism in Achievement Situations (OiAS)

Measures how strongly a person tends to explain achievement successes by internal, stable causes that support confidence and persistence toward goals.

Low optimism

Moderate optimism

High optimism

28 – 110: Low optimism | 111 – 138: Moderate optimism | 139 – 168: High optimism

A score of 63 falls in the Low optimism range, suggesting the person less often attributes achievements to their own stable qualities, which may be linked to reduced confidence and persistence in goal pursuit.

example score

111/168

Optimism in Failure Situations (OiFS)

Measures how optimistically a person explains failures as temporary, specific, and potentially controllable rather than pervasive and fixed.

Low optimism

Moderate optimism

High optimism

28 – 104: Low optimism | 105 – 133: Moderate optimism | 134 – 168: High optimism

A score of 111 falls in the Moderate optimism range, suggesting a generally resilient but not consistently stable tendency to view failures as limited and manageable.

example score

63/120

Optimism in Success Situations (OiSS)

Measures how strongly a person explains successes through internal, stable, and broadly applicable causes (optimistic attribution in success situations).

Lower optimism

Moderate optimism

Higher optimism

20 – 79: Lower optimism | 80 – 105: Moderate optimism | 106 – 120: Higher optimism

A score of 63 falls in the Lower optimism range, suggesting successes are less consistently attributed to stable, personal, and generalizable factors.

example score

83/108

Control (C)

Measures how strongly a person believes they can influence the causes and outcomes of successes and failures.

Low control

Moderate control

High control

18 – 65: Low control | 66 – 88: Moderate control | 89 – 108: High control

A score of 83 indicates a moderately strong sense of control, suggesting the person often feels their actions can affect outcomes but may see some situations as outside their influence.

example score

77/96

Globality (G)

Globality measures whether a person explains successes and failures as broadly affecting many life areas or as limited to a specific situation.

Local

Moderate

Global

16 – 62: Local | 63 – 82: Moderate | 83 – 96: Global

A score of 77 indicates a moderately global explanatory style, meaning events are often interpreted as extending beyond the immediate situation but not consistently across all areas of life.

example score

38/84

Stability (S)

The Stability parameter measures whether you tend to explain successes and failures as caused by factors that are enduring over time or temporary and changeable.

More changeable

Mixed stability

More stable

14 – 53: More changeable | 54 – 69: Mixed stability | 70 – 84: More stable

A score of 38 falls in the More changeable range, suggesting you more often see the causes of events as temporary rather than lasting.

example score

143/288

Overall Optimism (OO)

Measures the extent to which a person tends to explain successes and failures in an overall optimistic versus pessimistic way.

Low optimism

Moderate optimism

High optimism

48 – 189: Low optimism | 190 – 232: Moderate optimism | 233 – 288: High optimism

A score of 143 falls in the Low optimism range, suggesting a more pessimistic attributional style overall when interpreting life events.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People in self-development

41%OF USERS

They want to understand how their optimism and sense of control shape motivation after wins and setbacks.

Clients in counseling

34%OF USERS

They take it to pinpoint unhelpful explanations for failures and build a more constructive way to interpret events.

Teens and their parents

25%OF USERS

They use it to see how a teenager explains school and relationship outcomes and where support is most needed.

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.

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

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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.

Optimism in Interpersonal Situations (OiIS)

Average

79.4

Normal range

64.9 — 93.9

min.

max.

120

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.

Optimism in achievement situations (Oias)

Average

102

Normal range

77.4 — 126.7

min.

max.

168

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.

Optimism in situations of failure (Oisof)

Average

120.3

Normal range

102.4 — 138.2

min.

max.

168

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.

Optimism in Situations of Success (OiSoS)

Average

62.2

Normal range

48.7 — 75.6

min.

max.

120

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.

Control Parameter (CP)

Average

Normal range

40.5 — 71.6

min.

max.

108

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.

Globality parameter (Gp)

Average

Normal range

43.3 — 66.6

min.

max.

Majority

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Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Stability parameter (Sp)

Average

Normal range

23.8 — 50.2

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.

Overall Optimism Score (OOS)

Average

112.1

Normal range

77.6 — 146.7

min.

max.

288

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.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It assesses how successes and failures are explained, focusing on optimism and perceived control over outcomes. It distinguishes between positive and negative events and compares goal-related and relationship-related contexts.

How is perceived control evaluated?

Items ask whether the cause of an outcome is viewed as changeable through personal actions versus not changeable. Scores reflect how strongly outcomes are seen as controllable in different types of situations.

What is the structure of the questionnaire?

It contains 48 items covering positive and negative situations in achievement and interpersonal domains. Completion typically takes about 9 minutes.

Are there different forms for different age groups?

Yes, there is an adult form and a teenager form with age-appropriate situations. A brief version is available for quick screening and does not include the perceived control component.

How should the results be used?

Results support case formulation by identifying where explanations are more optimistic or pessimistic and where control is perceived as low or high. They can guide interventions aimed at reframing interpretations and strengthening active coping.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

The style of explaining successes and failures, STONE Test

Success and Failure Explanatory Style Questionnaire Test - Symptoms and Signs

attributional style optimism positive psychology

This self-report measure assesses how individuals explain the causes of positive and negative outcomes, including perceived optimism and perceived control over events. The Success and Failure Explanatory Style Questionnaire is intended to characterize explanatory style patterns that may inform case formulation and treatment planning. It is commonly used in clinical and research contexts to examine attributional tendencies related to achievement and interpersonal situations.

The instrument consists of 48 items and typically takes about 9 minutes to complete. Item content samples explanations for success and failure across contexts, supporting interpretation of how respondents attribute outcomes and how controllable they perceive contributing factors to be. The Success and Failure Explanatory Style Questionnaire is attributed to C. S. Dweck, B. Weiner, and M. E. P. Seligman.

Author: B. Weiner, C. S. Dweck, M. E. P. Seligman

Literature: Peterson, C., Semmel, A., von Baeyer, C., Abramson, L. Y., Metalsky, G. I., & Seligman, M. E. P. The attributional style questionnaire. Cognitive Therapy and Research. 1982.; Reivich, K., & Shatté, A. The resilience factor. Broadway Books. 2002.

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