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White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI)3

White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) Test

Learn how strongly you try to push away upsetting thoughts and how much stress it creates in about 3 minutes. Get a fast, clear signal to guide anxiety or obsessive-thought support.

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Questions: 153 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

27,417 views

3,305 completions

2,731 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

3/5

Thought Intrusion (TI)

Measures how often and intensely unwanted, intrusive thoughts occur and how difficult they are to control.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 2.4: Low | 2.5 – 3.9: Moderate | 4 – 5: High

A score of 3 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme level of intrusive thoughts that may be intermittently hard to manage.

example score

2/5

Thought Suppression (TS)

Measures how strongly a person deliberately tries to push away or avoid unwanted thoughts.

Low suppression

Moderate suppression

High suppression

1 – 2.4: Low suppression | 2.5 – 3.9: Moderate suppression | 4 – 5: High suppression

A score of 2 falls in the Low suppression range, suggesting relatively infrequent or mild efforts to control or avoid unwanted thoughts.

example score

3/5

Unwanted Thought Suppression (UTS)

Measures how strongly a person tends to push away unwanted thoughts and the tension associated with their recurrence.

Low suppression

Moderate suppression

High suppression

1 – 2.4: Low suppression | 2.5 – 3.9: Moderate suppression | 4 – 5: High suppression

A score of 3 indicates a moderate tendency to suppress unwanted thoughts, suggesting some effort to control intrusive ideas with a noticeable but not extreme level of associated strain.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Anxiety and overthinking strugglers

41%OF USERS

People who feel stuck in loops of worry and try hard to block intrusive thoughts, but end up feeling more tense.

OCD-like intrusive thoughts

34%OF USERS

Those dealing with recurring unwanted images or urges who want to understand how much suppression is fueling distress.

Therapy and self-insight seekers

25%OF USERS

People already working on mental health or self-help who want a quick snapshot of their habit of fighting thoughts and the stress it creates.

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.

Intrusion of Thoughts (IoT)

Average

3.3

Normal range

2.7 — 3.8

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.

Suppression of Thoughts (SoT)

Average

3.3

Normal range

2.7 — 3.9

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.

Scale of Suppression of Unwanted Thoughts (SoSoUT)

Average

3.9

Normal range

3.2 — 4.7

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.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

This questionnaire concerns your thoughts. There are no right or wrong answers; please respond honestly to each item. Indicate the extent to which you agree with each statement.

- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Unsure
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Unsure
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Unsure
- Agree
- Strongly agree

These are 3 of the 15 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

Unwanted Thought Suppression Scale, WBSI Test

White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) Test - Symptoms and Signs

cbt

This self-report measure assesses an individual’s tendency to suppress unwanted thoughts and the distress associated with recurrent intrusive cognitions. The White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) is commonly used to characterize thought-control efforts that may be clinically relevant in anxiety- and obsession-related presentations.

Developed by Daniel M. Wegner and Patricia M. Zanakos, it consists of 15 items and typically takes about 3 minutes to complete. Respondents rate their level of agreement with statements reflecting attempts to push away unwanted ideas and the subjective strain that can accompany these efforts.

Scores on the White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) may help clinicians and researchers identify patterns of maladaptive thought suppression and consider their relationship to emotional distress, symptom maintenance, and treatment planning. Interpretation should be integrated with clinical interview findings and other assessment data.

Author: Daniel M. Wegner, Patricia M. Zanakos

Literature: Wegner, D. M., & Zanakos, S. Chronic thought suppression. Journal of Personality. 1994.; Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2003.; Wegner, D. M., & Zanakos, S. Chronic thought suppression. Journal of Personality. 1994.