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Universal Perceived Locus of Causality Scale (UPLOC)3

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.

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Questions: 245 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

21,107 views

1,799 completions

1,497 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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.

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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.

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.

Amotivation (A)

Average

10.5

Normal range

8.4 — 12.7

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.

External (E)

Average

12.8

Normal range

10.2 — 15.4

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.

Introjected Negative (IN)

Average

Normal range

6.5 — 11.4

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.

Introjected Positive (IP)

Average

13.8

Normal range

10.8 — 16.8

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.

Identified (I)

Average

8.4

Normal range

6 — 10.8

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.

Internal (I)

Average

10.8

Normal range

8.5 — 13.1

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.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

The questions below concern the reasons you attend classes at school or university. Please think carefully and answer the following question: When you go to classes at school or university, WHY do you do so? At present, I attend classes at school or university because...

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

These are 3 of the 24 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

Universal Scale of Types of Motivational Regulation, UPLOC Test

Universal Perceived Locus of Causality Scale (UPLOC) Test - Symptoms and Signs

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.