How What Motivates Me? works

How it is scored

This test is based on research on motivation. Self-determination theory describes three basic needs that drive lasting effort: feeling competent, feeling connected to others, and feeling free to choose (Ryan and Deci, 2000; Deci and Ryan, 2000). Achievement research finds that people differ in how strongly they are driven by success and recognition (McClelland, 1987), and that aiming to master a skill goes with more persistence than aiming only to look good (Elliot and McGregor, 2001). Specific, challenging goals raise effort and performance (Locke and Latham, 2002), and seeing how your work helps others can raise motivation (Grant, 2008). The four driver names in this test are our own.

Part 1 has 24 sentences, six for each driver. Each one gives 0 to 4 points to its driver. Part 2 has 18 pairs of choices. Every driver is paired with every other driver three times, and the choice you pick gives 3.1 points to its driver. Every driver can earn the same total, so the scores compare fairly.

Each driver score runs from 0 to 100. Your main driver is your highest score. Most people use more than one driver, so look at all four.

PersonalitySite.com wrote all of these questions and descriptions. They are not copied from any other test.

What it cannot tell you

This test is for learning about yourself. It is not a diagnosis. It cannot tell you if you have depression, burnout, or any other condition that affects motivation. Do not use it to hire, fire, promote, or judge people.

What moves you changes with the task, the people around you, and your stage of life. The same person can be driven by learning at school and by helping at home. If two drivers are close, you probably use both about equally. Needs for competence, connection, and choice matter for everyone, whatever your top score.

This version has not yet been tested with a large group of people, so we do not yet know how accurate it is.

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