How long does this quiz take?

It takes about 2 minutes to complete.

Are my responses private?

Yes, all answers are anonymized and confidential.

Can I take this test more than once?

Yes, you can retake the test any time to see how your results may have changed.

Will this quiz diagnose me with a mental health condition?

No, this assessment is for self-reflection and educational purposes only; it is not a diagnostic tool.

Can my results help me in therapy?

Yes, understanding how you validate (or invalidate) your emotions is a great topic to explore with a therapist to improve emotional regulation.

Discover if you are subconsciously undermining your emotional well-being.

The Emotional Self-Validation Test

Do you accept your feelings or fight against them?

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | Last Updated: February 16, 2026

Reviewed by Jourdan Travers, LCSW

Self-invalidation occurs when we judge our emotions as wrong, weak, or unnecessary. This test helps you identify if you are overly critical of your internal experiences, whether you judge yourself for having "too much" emotion or "too little." Understanding these patterns is the first step toward greater resilience. If you struggle to identify what you are feeling in the first place, you might also want to take the Alexithymia Scale. Alternatively, if you want to measure your ability to stay present with your experiences, consider checking out the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this quiz take?: It takes about 2 minutes to complete.
Are my responses private?: Yes, all The Emotional Self-Validation Test answers are anonymized and confidential.
Can I take this test more than once?: Yes, you can retake the test any time to see how your The Emotional Self-Validation Test results may have changed.
Will this quiz diagnose me with a mental health condition?: No, this assessment is for self-reflection and educational purposes only; it is not a diagnostic tool.
Can my results help me in therapy?: Yes, understanding how you validate (or invalidate) your emotions is a great topic to explore with a therapist to improve emotional regulation.

The Emotional Self-Validation Scale: Take The Test

Step 1: Rate Your Emotional Attitudes

For each statement, indicate how accurate you think it is on a scale of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). For best results, answer honestly and trust your first instinct.

1. I feel inferior because I am not emotionally influenced by many things.

2. I expect myself to be more capable of controlling my emotions.

3. I feel unworthy of love because I am not a very emotional person.

4. I often feel that having emotions makes me a weak person.

5. I believe I damage my relationships because I don't experience enough emotion.

6. I worry that my emotions make me a burden to the people around me.

7. I feel inadequate as a person because I experience too little emotion.

8. I believe I should be able to recover from my emotions more quickly than I do.

9. I consider myself cold-hearted because I do not feel emotions intensely.

10. I often feel that my emotional reactions are not justified by the situation.

11. I often feel foolish or embarrassed by my emotional reactions.

Step 2: Enter Your Demographics

Provide your age, gender, region, and first name for a detailed report comparing your results to others.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Submit Your The Emotional Self-Validation Test Answers

After completing all questions, click below to send your responses to Mark Travers, Ph.D. All answers are anonymized and confidential.

References

Schreiber, R. E., & Veilleux, J. C. (2022). The Self-Invalidation Due to Emotion Scale: Development and psychometric properties. Psychological Assessment, 34(10), 937–951.

Disclaimer

This scale is designed for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.