Avoidant Personality Disorder Test

Basic information
Statements:	24
Duration:	4–6 minutes
Type:	Self-assessment
Seminal work:	Deenz Avoidant Personality Scale (DAPS-24)
Publishing year:	2021
Instructions:	The purpose of Deenz avoidant personality scale is to measure subclinical traits and assess the presence of inclination or likelihood of exhibiting, pathological traits associated with Avoidant personality disorder. The preliminary version of the scale is based on 24 statements, related to your life experiences and behaviors. For each statement you need to indicate your level of agreement.

Avoidant personality test is available in the following languages:

Question 1 of 24

I often avoid social gatherings or events.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 2 of 24

Meeting new people makes me anxious.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 3 of 24

I feel uncomfortable initiating conversations.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 4 of 24

I prefer spending time alone rather than with others.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 5 of 24

I often doubt my own abilities and worth.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 6 of 24

Comparing myself to others makes me feel inferior.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 7 of 24

I frequently feel not good enough in social situations.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 8 of 24

I am afraid of making mistakes.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 9 of 24

I feel deeply hurt or upset when someone disagrees with me.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 10 of 24

I fear being negatively judged by others.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 11 of 24

I find it hard to handle disapproval from others.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 12 of 24

I am hesitant to express my opinions due to fear of criticism.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 13 of 24

I am overly concerned about what others think of me.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 14 of 24

I always feel like I need to predict things before interactions.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 15 of 24

I think a lot about times I was rejected in the past.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 16 of 24

I am overly cautious before trying new things.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 17 of 24

I avoid situations where I might be embarrassed.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 18 of 24

I often prefer to stick to familiar places and routines.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 19 of 24

I feel uncomfortable or anxious in unfamiliar social situations.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 20 of 24

I am overly cautious about sharing personal information with others.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 21 of 24

I frequently feel lonely or isolated from others.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 22 of 24

I often feel a sense of emptiness.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 23 of 24

Even though I'm scared, I really want close connections with others.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Question 24 of 24

I prefer meaningful relationships.

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

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The purpose of the scale is to measure subclinical traits, tendencies and inclination towards clinical traits associated with Avoidant Personality disorder in general population. This quiz is not considered accurate for the diagnosis of Avoidant Personality Disorder. Only a mental health professional can make a proper and definitive diagnosis. The results can be used for clinical purposes only when there is the intervention of a mental health professional. Your participation in this quiz is complete anonymous, no data is collect or stored for research purposes.

Avoidant Personality refers to feelings of inadequacy, fear of negative judgment, and tendencies to avoid social interactions due to fear of criticism. Over the years our understanding of avoidant behaviors has evolved and the change in the classifications and shift in focus on accessing subclinical traits has been recognized.^{[1] Lampe, ….. “Avoidant personality disorder: current insights.” Psychology research and behavior management (2018):} Early accessing and measuring the inclination towards clinical traits or the impact of avoidant personality on social and psychological well-being can help minimize the risk of development of Avoidant personality disorder.

Avoidant Personality Facets.

Avoidance (Social Inhibition): Social Inhibition refers to a tendency to be cautious in social situations. In other words, it is a psychological phenomenon in which a person experiences hindrance in social interactions and behaviors. From the subclinical perspective, it is a fear of negative judgment in social situations without experiencing significant impairment. ^{[2] Lampe L. Avoidant personality disorder as a social anxiety phenotype: risk factors, associations and treatment.}

Inferiority (Feelings of Inadequacy): Inferiority refers to the state of feeling inadequacy and low self-esteem. People with an inferiority complex experience unrealistic feelings or doubts about their abilities and self-worth. Chronic feelings of inferiority may lead to impairment in social and interpersonal relationships.

Defensiveness (Hypersensitivity to Criticism or Rejection): Defensiveness is a natural response to the perceived threat, whether physical or emotional. Some people are sensitive to criticism or rejection and it is the natural way to struggle for protection of self-worth. The exaggerated sensitivity to criticism or rejection can lead to a heightened state of alertness to strive to shield from emotional harm. People with avoidant personality disorder often have hypersensitivity to criticism and it impacts their social and professional life. ^{[3] Cassidy, …. “Avoidance and its relation to other defensive processes.”}

Overconcern (Preoccupation with Criticism or Rejection): Overconcern in the subclinical perspective refers to the state of feeling concerned about criticism or rejection in social situations without impairing overall social and psychological well-being. People who have unrealistic concerns about how they may be perceived when expressing opinions or disapproval lead them to avoid social situations.

Insularity (Limited Social Circle): Insularity refers to the state of being detached or limiting social interactions with others. People with insularity limit their circle of social interactions and isolate themselves from others because of fear of rejection or disapproval. Sometimes people limit social interactions to provide themselves a sense of safety but this behavior leads to impairment in daily functioning.

Yearning (Longing for Social Connection): In simple terms or in the context of social connections, yearning refers to the desire to build meaningful relationships. From the psychosocial perspective, it is an emotional state characterized by a sense of emptiness or feeling of isolation that arises from the inadequacy of social connections. ^{[4] Sørensen KD. Lived experience of avoidant personality disorder.}

References

1. Lisa Lampe & Gin S Malhi (2018) Avoidant personality disorder: current insights, Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 11:, 55-66, DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S121073 ↩

2. Lampe, Lisa. “Avoidant personality disorder as a social anxiety phenotype: risk factors, associations and treatment.” Current opinion in psychiatry 29.1 (2016): 64-69. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000211 ↩

3. Cassidy, Jude, and R. Rogers Kobak. “Avoidance and its relation to other defensive processes.” Clinical implications of attachment. Routledge, 2015. 300-323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03919-w ↩

4. Sørensen KD. Lived experience of avoidant personality disorder. [PDF] uio.no ↩