Self-Determination Scale (Sheldon, Ryan & Reis)
Psychology: PersonalityReliability: alpha 0.853 sample items
About this scale
A 10-item measure of dispositional self-determination across two subscales: awareness of self and perceived choice in one's actions.
Sample item(s)
“I always feel like I choose the things I do (perceived choice)”
“Sometimes I look into the mirror and see a stranger (awareness, reverse)”
“My emotions sometimes seem alien to me (awareness, reverse)”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alpha 0.85. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Free for academic use.
Source & citation
Sheldon, K. M., Ryan, R., & Reis, H. T. (1996): What makes for a good day? Competence and autonomy in the day and in the person. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 22, No. 12, pp. 1270–1279.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
Use it in your research
Need to check the reliability or psychometrics of this scale in your own data? Use the free DrAIStudio research tools:
Cronbach’s alpha calculator
All statistical calculators
Search the full Scale Atlas
Academic writing humanizer