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Mentalization Test

Metalization can be defined as the capacities necessary for making sense of the mental state of ourselves and others. This Mentalization Test evaluates these capabilities on seven domains to deliver a personal result reflecting total mentalization ability and six related subdomains.

The IDRLabs Mentalization Test aims to integrate different perspectives on the mentalizing concept to encompass the complexities of the mentalization construct.

How do you mentalize? For each of the following statements, indicate how well it describes you below.

Question 1 of 33

I often spend time reflecting on my behavior.

Disagree
Agree

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The IDRlabs Mentalization Test is inspired by the Multidimensional Mentalizing Questionnaire (MMQ) authored by Alessio Gori et al. at the Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence. IDRlabs is not affiliated with the author, the University of Florence, or any other institution.

The test provides feedback such as the following:

Reflexivity: Covers introspection, meta-cognition, and critical thinking. This domain denotes a propensity to search for a deeper understanding of our experiences. It manifests in interest and curiosity for the exploration of the mental state of one’s self and the desire to analyze witnessed behaviors and experienced events. Considered a functional component of mentalizing, reflexivity is significantly and positively associated with secure attachment, openness, and self-efficacy, i.e., belief in one’s capability to achieve intended outcomes.

Ego Strength: Being a key component of resilience, ego strength concerns the perception regarding our ability to face everyday challenges with emotional resistance to stress and frustration. This domain indicates how well we metabolize painful experiences without hurting our self-understanding while simultaneously maintaining realistic trust and self-efficacy. Being considered a functional component of mentalizing, ego strength is significantly and positively associated with secure attachment, openness, and self-efficacy.

Relational Attunement: Measures our ability to tune in to the affective and cognitive states of others. This domain indicates, as a component of empathy, our capacity to deeply understand the experiences and perspectives of others. Considered a functional component of mentalizing, relational attunement is significantly and positively associated with secure attachment, openness, and self-efficacy.

Relational Discomfort: As the conceptual opposite of relational attunement, relational discomfort is characterized by difficulties in interpersonal contexts and a self-perception as being misunderstood and hurt by others, further indicating relational insecurity, a propensity toward pessimistic conclusions about others, and anxieties related to a fear of abandonment. Considered a dysfunctional contributor to mentalizing referring to the production of failures and distortions in the mentalization process, relational discomfort is significantly and negatively associated with secure attachment, openness, and self-efficacy and positively associated with impulsive behavior and alexithymia, i.e., the inability to identify and explain own emotions and those of others, as well as dysfunction in attachment to others, interpersonal relationships and emotional awareness.

Distrust: Being the conceptual opposite of ego strength, distrust denotes a tendency to view the world and others suspiciously, as well as to others, which in turn leads to an attitude of closed-mindedness, i.e., narrow and rigid opinions of others. This may lead to repetitive experiences where (mis)conceptions of own fragility and perceived threats by others are confirmed repeatedly due to irrational mistrust in unfamiliar relational experiences. As the absence of trust impairs the ability to change one’s attitude, distrust is considered a dysfunctional contributor to mentalization, causing failures and distortions in the mentalization process, which are significantly and negatively associated with secure attachment, openness, and self-efficacy and positively associated with impulsive behavior and alexithymia, i.e., the inability to identify and explain own emotions and those of others, as well as dysfunction in attachment to others, interpersonal relationships and emotional awareness.

The IDRlabs Mentalization Test is inspired by the Multidimensional Mentalizing Questionnaire (MMQ), which was developed by Alessio Gori et al. at the Department of Health Sciences of the University of Florence. The Multidimensional Mentalizing Questionnaire was developed to help expand the existing number of scales measuring the different aspects of the mentalization concept. The IDRlabs Mentalization Test should not be used to provide clinical assessments or accurate evaluation of your personality. Clinical assessments should always be done in cooperation with a mental health professional. For more information about any of our online tests and quizzes, please consult our Terms of Service.

Why Use This Test?

1. Free. The Mentalization Test is provided to you free of charge and allows you to obtain your scores related to autism in several different domains.

2. Acceptable validity and reliability. The Multidimensional Mentalizing Questionnaire shows good construct validity and adequate internal consistency as measured using Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.75).

3. Statistical controls. Test scores are logged into an anonymized database. Statistical analysis of the test is conducted to ensure maximum accuracy and validity of the test scores.

4. Made by professionals. The present test has been made with the input of people who work professionally with psychology and individual differences research.