Psychological Safety Scale

If you second-guess your opinions at work more often than you'd like, the problem may not be you. Take this test to learn if your workplace is a psychological 'safe space.'

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | January 03, 2024

Psychological safety is a concept that pertains to our likelihood of taking interpersonal risks. It's about "feeling at home," no matter where you are. The idea behind feeling psychologically safe at work is that, just as you wouldn't be able to speak up without the fear of retaliation among your loved ones, you should feel the same level of comfort and freedom in your workplace. This means you can voice your ideas, concerns or mistakes without fear of being judged, ridiculed or punished.

Some workplaces are more psychologically safe than others, and if you're wondering where yours falls in the spectrum, here's a seven-item version of the Psychological Safety Scale crafted by Amy Edmondson, renowned leadership and management professor at Harvard Business School.

Taking this test can help you reflect on your professional journey and give you an insight into whether you are truly where you need to be.

You can take this test here. Please follow all of the steps to receive your results.

Step 1: Rate the statements below on a scale of Very Inaccurate (1) to Very Accurate (5).

1. If I make a mistake on this team, it is not held against me.

2. Members of this team are able to bring up problems and tough issues.

3. Members of this team do not reject others for being different.

4. It is safe to take risks on this team.

5. It is easy to ask other members of this team for help.

6. No one on this team would deliberately act in a way that undermines my efforts.

7. Working with members of this team, my unique skills and talents are valued and utilized.

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores to people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.

References: Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383.