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Communication Style Questionnaire3

Communication Style Questionnaire Test

In 3 minutes, see whether your voice comes across more commanding or more youthful, and how much you listen versus watch. Get clear insights to improve teamwork, trust, and conflict communication.

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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

22,443 views

1,496 completions

1,285 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

5/6

Kinesthetic (Sensory) Modality (KM)

Measures how strongly you rely on bodily sensations and physical experience as a basis for communication.

Low sensory focus

Balanced sensory focus

High sensory focus

0 – 2: Low sensory focus | 3 – 4: Balanced sensory focus | 5 – 6: High sensory focus

A score of 5 indicates a high sensory focus, meaning you tend to communicate with strong attention to bodily cues, comfort, and physical experience.

example score

3/6

Auditory (A)

This scale measures how strongly you rely on auditory (sound-based) cues when communicating and interpreting others.

Low auditory focus

Balanced auditory focus

High auditory focus

0 – 2: Low auditory focus | 3 – 4: Balanced auditory focus | 5 – 6: High auditory focus

A score of 3 suggests a balanced tendency to use sound information in communication, without it strongly dominating how you perceive interactions.

example score

4/6

Visual (V)

This scale measures how strongly you rely on visual imagery and visual information when communicating.

Low visual focus

Moderate visual focus

High visual focus

0 – 2: Low visual focus | 3 – 4: Moderate visual focus | 5 – 6: High visual focus

A score of 4 suggests a moderate visual focus, meaning you often use visual cues and imagery to express and interpret messages, but not as your only default.

example score

4/6

Child (C)

Measures how strongly a child-like ego state shows up in your communication, including impulsiveness, pleasure-seeking, and shifting responsibility to others.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 4 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting child-like communication patterns appear fairly often, with some impulsive or responsibility-shifting tendencies but not as a dominant style.

example score

3/6

B: Adult (BA)

Measures how strongly you communicate from an adult ego state characterized by rational, objective, fact-based regulation of emotions.

Low adult state

Moderate adult state

High adult state

0 – 2: Low adult state | 3 – 4: Moderate adult state | 5 – 6: High adult state

A score of 3 suggests a moderate adult ego state, meaning you often use a balanced, fact-based approach while still sometimes relying on less objective communication modes.

example score

3/6

A: Parent (AP)

Measures how strongly a parental ego state shows up in your communication, reflecting a tendency toward responsibility-taking and right–wrong framing.

Low Parent

Moderate Parent

High Parent

0 – 2: Low Parent | 3 – 4: Moderate Parent | 5 – 6: High Parent

A score of 3 suggests a moderate parental tone, meaning you may sometimes sound guiding or evaluative while still leaving room for a more equal, flexible exchange.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Team leads and managers

41%OF USERS

They take it to see whether they come across as commanding or supportive and how well they listen in day-to-day leadership conversations.

Coaching and therapy clients

34%OF USERS

They use it to spot unconscious communication habits that shape conflict, trust, and emotional expression in relationships.

People builders and recruiters

25%OF USERS

They take it to understand someone’s typical speaking style and interaction tendencies when forming or assessing teams.

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.

sensation (s)

Average

3.4

Normal range

2.5 — 4.3

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.

hearing (h)

Average

3.6

Normal range

2.8 — 4.3

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.

vision (v)

Average

2.1

Normal range

1.3 — 2.9

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.

in: child (ic)

Average

1.7

Normal range

0.8 — 2.6

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.

b : adult (b:a)

Average

3.5

Normal range

2.7 — 4.3

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.

a: parent (ap)

Average

Normal range

2.9 — 5.1

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

- We NEED to go to the movies.
- LET'S go to the movies.
- MAYBE we could go to the movies?
- I should get help.
- I will get help.
- I want to get help.
- We MUST eat.
- We CAN eat.
- MAYBE we should eat?

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

Communication Style Questionnaire Test - Symptoms and Signs

ego-state

representational system

This brief self-report measure is designed to characterize an individual’s typical verbal communication patterns. The Communication Style Questionnaire provides a structured snapshot of how a person tends to express thoughts and feelings in interpersonal contexts.

The measure, attributed to Kincher, Jonni, asks respondents to select words they commonly use, yielding a profile of preferred interaction tendencies (e.g., more directive versus more accommodating, and greater emphasis on listening versus attending to observed cues). The Communication Style Questionnaire includes 15 items and takes about 3 minutes to complete.

Author: Kincher, Jonni

Literature: Norton, R. W. Measuring marital quality: A critical look at the dependent variable. Journal of Marriage and the Family. 1983.