Home
Psychological tests
Universal Perceived Locus of Causality Scale (UPLOC)

Universal Perceived Locus of Causality Scale (UPLOC) Test

In 5 minutes, see how your motivation runs from external pressure to true autonomy across life areas. Get a clear snapshot to guide coaching, prevent burnout, and support lasting goals.

Start Online Test

Questions: 245 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

18319 views

1548 completions

1288 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

8/20

Amotivation (A)

Measures the extent to which a person lacks both internal and external reasons to engage in an activity.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 9: Low | 10 – 15: Moderate | 16 – 20: High

A score of 8 falls in the Low range, suggesting generally present motivation with only occasional feelings of having no clear reason or purpose to act.

example score

15/20

External Regulation (ER)

Measures the extent to which a person is motivated by external rewards, demands, or avoidance of negative consequences.

Low external control

Moderate external control

High external control

4 – 9: Low external control | 10 – 14: Moderate external control | 15 – 20: High external control

A score of 15 indicates high external motivation, suggesting the activity is largely driven by rewards, rules, or fear of penalties rather than personal choice.

example score

11/20

Negative Introjected Regulation (NIR)

Measures the extent to which a person is motivated by internal pressure to avoid guilt or shame rather than by autonomous choice.

Low guilt-driven pressure

Moderate guilt-driven pressure

High guilt-driven pressure

4 – 9: Low guilt-driven pressure | 10 – 14: Moderate guilt-driven pressure | 15 – 20: High guilt-driven pressure

A score of 11 indicates a moderate tendency to act to avoid guilt or shame, suggesting some internal pressure is influencing motivation alongside other factors.

example score

18/20

Positive Introjected Regulation (PIR)

Measures the extent to which a person is motivated by internal self-approval and self-esteem boosts rather than purely external incentives.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 9: Low | 10 – 15: Moderate | 16 – 20: High

A score of 18 indicates high introjected positive motivation, suggesting you often engage in activities to feel proud of yourself or to maintain a positive self-image.

example score

16/20

Identified Regulation (IR)

Identified motivation measures how strongly a person consciously values and accepts an activity’s goals as personally important, even if the activity was initially externally prompted.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 9: Low | 10 – 15: Moderate | 16 – 20: High

A score of 16 falls in the High range, suggesting the activity is largely pursued because its purpose and outcomes are personally meaningful and endorsed.

example score

15/20

Intrinsic (I)

Measures the extent to which a person is motivated by interest and enjoyment in the activity itself rather than external pressures.

Low intrinsic

Moderate intrinsic

High intrinsic

4 – 9: Low intrinsic | 10 – 15: Moderate intrinsic | 16 – 20: High intrinsic

A score of 15 indicates moderately high intrinsic motivation, suggesting the activity is often driven by personal interest and enjoyment.

Start Online Test

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Students and learners

41%OF USERS

They want to understand whether studying is driven by genuine interest, pressure, or rewards and how to shift toward more self-directed motivation.

Employees feeling burnout

34%OF USERS

They take it to see what keeps them working day to day and whether their drive is mostly internal values or external demands.

Coaches and psychologists

25%OF USERS

They use it with clients or groups to map motivation styles and choose interventions that strengthen autonomy and lasting engagement.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

What You’ll See After You Finish the Test

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale, translated into plain, usable insights. Not just numbers, but what they actually mean for your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

A structured, clinically grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation — without alarmist language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how you compare to others. Your scores are placed in a statistical context, showing percentiles and trends based on anonymized platform data to help you understand what`s typical.

Practical
Recommendations

Actionable guidance tailored to your profile. Receive clear, realistic suggestions you can apply immediately — focused on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Detected
Insights

Key patterns you might not notice on your own. Surfacing subtle connections in your responses that help you better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Psychologist

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

Start Online Test

Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.

Amotivation (A)

Average

10.5

Normal range

8.4 — 12.7

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

External (E)

Average

12.8

Normal range

10.2 — 15.4

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Introjected Negative (IN)

Average

Normal range

6.5 — 11.4

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Introjected Positive (IP)

Average

13.8

Normal range

10.8 — 16.8

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Identified (I)

Average

8.4

Normal range

6 — 10.8

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Internal (I)

Average

10.8

Normal range

8.5 — 13.1

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Start Online Test

Featured On

Rated 4.8/5 by Our Customers

“Freudly really helped me discover parts of my personality I hadn’t noticed before. It strengthened the areas where I needed to grow and made me feel more grounded and confident in the parts that already worked well.”

— Emma C., US

“I wanted to understand how serious my ADHD is, and now I finally do. I also realized I need to work on my self-esteem. It has been low for a long time, and that makes daily life harder than it should be.”

— Mateo R., CA

“Reading each question felt like someone really understood me. Even though I’ve already dealt with much of this, reflecting still helped me learn something new about myself.”

— Caroline F., US

“The process is simple. The test covers everything you need, and you’ll get a clear breakdown of your results. For just a few dollars, it’s a great value.”

— Klara N., CZ

“I kept thinking there might be a small chance, but now I know for sure. The questions were easy to understand, and the whole process was straightforward.”

— Bruno M., BR

“I really enjoyed this experience. I learned a lot, and it helped me make sense of my thoughts and the feeling I’ve had for a long time that I may have grown up with undiagnosed ADHD.”

— Alice B., FR

“Great platform — the insights were genuinely meaningful!”

— Daniel W., DE

“Everything was easy to follow. The tools you get at the end are genuinely helpful for self-growth, and the price is very reasonable. I really appreciate that.”

— Sofia M., ES

“Surprisingly accurate — honestly didn’t expect it to nail things so well.”

— Adir B., IL

“There are lots of different tests to pick from, and the price is surprisingly low for how much insight you get.”

— Olivia W., CA

“I was pleasantly surprised when I read the results. It was as if someone had sorted out my messy thoughts and given me useful tips to help me speak with more confidence.”

— Grace O., IE

“It was really solid, very detailed, and it actually helped me make sense of a lot of things.”

— Carla T., TT

“I was really impressed with the report. It was clear, thoughtful, and it reflected things I’ve been noticing about myself.”

— Jade H., US

“The questions made me think deeply and helped me become more self-aware.”

— Brooke S., US

“Reading through most of the questions made me feel understood. Although I’ve already worked through some of these issues, the questions still gave me useful insights and helped me learn more about myself.”

— Ryan M., US

“I usually take one or two tests each month, and this has become a good way for me to see how I’m doing.”

— Lucas W., US

“Most of the time, my results are in the 90 to 98th percentile compared to others. It really makes me feel like there’s something unique about me.”

— Ethan C., US

“I tried out some of the AI’s suggestions, and to be honest, they worked much better than I thought they would. Maybe this thing really is smarter than me.”

— Reece D., AU

Trusted by 22k+ Users Worldwide

CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Any questions left?

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures types of motivational regulation along an autonomy continuum, from externally controlled motives to internally endorsed motives. It reflects perceived choice and intrinsic interest in an activity.

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

Completion typically takes about 5 minutes. The questionnaire includes 24 items.

How should responses be selected?

Each item should be rated based on how well the stated reason matches the participant’s usual motive for the target activity. Responses should reflect typical patterns rather than a single recent event.

Can the wording be used for different activities?

Yes, item wording can be adapted to a specific domain such as school, work, health behavior, or personal projects. The same response format should be kept to allow comparison across domains or groups.

How are results interpreted and used?

Scores summarize the relative strength of different motivational regulations and indicate the degree of autonomy in engagement. Results can support screening, group comparisons, and planning interventions aimed at strengthening stable, self-endorsed motivation.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Universal Scale of Types of Motivational Regulation, UPLOC Test

Universal Perceived Locus of Causality Scale (UPLOC) Test

self-determination academic motivation

This measure assesses perceived sources of motivation and the degree to which behavior is experienced as self-endorsed versus pressured. The Universal Perceived Locus of Causality Scale (UPLOC) is intended to characterize motivational regulation along an autonomy continuum.

The instrument includes 24 items and typically takes about 5 minutes to complete. Respondents rate statements describing reasons for engaging in an activity, yielding scores that can be used to summarize relative emphasis on more autonomous versus more controlled forms of regulation. It is commonly used in clinical, counseling, and research settings to inform case formulation, track change over time, and support group comparisons; interpretation should be integrated with other clinical data.

The Universal Perceived Locus of Causality Scale (UPLOC) was developed by Kennon M. Sheldon, Edward L. Deci, and Richard M. Ryan.

Author: Edward L. Deci, Kennon M. Sheldon, Richard M. Ryan

Literature: Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. Self-determination theory: A macrotheory of human motivation, development, and health. Canadian Psychology. 2008.

Test Question Form