NovoPsych

Maladaptive Schema Scale (MSS-v1.4)

Instructions:
This assessment will take about 15 minutes to complete. Below are statements that you might agree or
disagree with. Please read each statement and indicate your level of agreement. Try not to spend too much
time on a single question or be overly factual in your responses, rather base your answers on what you
intuitively feel.

Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
disagree

I fear that my important relationships will end

1
unexpectedly.
0 1 2 3 4

I worry that people I love can't be there for me in a

2
committed way.
0 1 2 3 4

I feel confident that other people will be there for me

3
when I need them.
4 3 2 1 0

4 I worry about losing people that I rely on. 0 1 2 3 4

I always depend on myself and never on other

5
people.
0 1 2 3 4

6 I feel uneasy when people get too close. 0 1 2 3 4

I feel extremely uncomfortable depending on other

7
people.
0 1 2 3 4

The last thing I want to do is bother people with my

8
problems.
0 1 2 3 4

I have others I can depend on for advice and

9
emotional support.
4 3 2 1 0

10 If I was in trouble, I wouldn't know who to call. 0 1 2 3 4

11 Other people don't care about my emotional needs. 0 1 2 3 4

I feel unsupported by others, so I wouldn’t share my

12
emotions.
0 1 2 3 4

13 People usually conceal their real intentions. 0 1 2 3 4

14 I don't trust people. 0 1 2 3 4

15 I don't believe what people say at face value. 0 1 2 3 4

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Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
disagree

16 People usually tell the truth. 4 3 2 1 0

17 Many people are selfish and unkind. 0 1 2 3 4

18 People rarely care about the wellbeing of others. 0 1 2 3 4

19 Violence is a major part of human nature. 0 1 2 3 4

20 At their core, many people are bad. 0 1 2 3 4

21 I'm inherently different from everyone else. 0 1 2 3 4

22 I haven't met anyone that thinks like me. 0 1 2 3 4

23 I am typically accepted by people. 4 3 2 1 0

24 I am an outsider. 0 1 2 3 4

25 If people knew the real me, they wouldn't like me. 0 1 2 3 4

26 I am inherently defective. 0 1 2 3 4

27 My flaws make me unlovable. 0 1 2 3 4

I have reasons to be ashamed of myself and my

28
character
0 1 2 3 4

I’m afraid of venturing too far because there are so

29
many bad things happening.
0 1 2 3 4

30 The world is safe for me. 4 3 2 1 0

The world is a dangerous and unforgiving place, and I

31
worry it will spiral into catastrophe.
0 1 2 3 4

32 The world is a bad place and will harm me. 0 1 2 3 4

I cannot take care of myself, so I need others to take

33
care of me.
0 1 2 3 4

I feel incapable of managing daily tasks without help

34
from others.
0 1 2 3 4

I often worry about making decisions on my own and

35
prefer someone else to make them for me.
0 1 2 3 4

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Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
disagree

36 I feel confident making decisions on my own. 4 3 2 1 0

37 Most other people have achieved more than me. 0 1 2 3 4

38 I feel proud of my accomplishments. 4 3 2 1 0

I feel inferior when I think of the accomplishments of

39
others.
0 1 2 3 4

I compare my achievements with others and feel that

40
I am not as successful.
0 1 2 3 4

If a task is difficult, I'm unlikely to be able to

41
accomplish it.
0 1 2 3 4

I can rarely come up with solutions to my own

42
problems.
0 1 2 3 4

43 I can handle anything that comes my way. 4 3 2 1 0

44 Most problems are too hard for me to deal with. 0 1 2 3 4

The course of our lives are largely determined by

45
chance; we have very little influence.
0 1 2 3 4

No matter what I do, the outcomes of events are

46
outside my control.
0 1 2 3 4

There is no point trying to influence the future,

47
because outside forces have more influence.
0 1 2 3 4

48 I am in control of my future. 4 3 2 1 0

I am responsible for the emotions of the person I am

49
closest to.
0 1 2 3 4

With those closest to me, I don’t know where my

50
needs and emotions end and where theirs begin.
0 1 2 3 4

I am so close to someone it feels like I have merged

51
with them.
0 1 2 3 4

52 The needs of the person closest to me consume me. 0 1 2 3 4

53 Other people know better than I do. 0 1 2 3 4

54 I should always do as I'm told. 0 1 2 3 4

55 Other people know what is best for me. 0 1 2 3 4

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Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
disagree

I feel like I have to let others take control in

56
relationships.
0 1 2 3 4

I always prioritise others no matter what's going on for

57
me.
0 1 2 3 4

I believe it is my duty to listen to other people's

58
problems.
0 1 2 3 4

59 My needs are as important as other people's needs. 4 3 2 1 0

No matter how much I give to others, I can never give

60
enough.
0 1 2 3 4

Gaining the approval of others is often more

61
important to me than following my own desires.
0 1 2 3 4

I want people to like me, so I would tend to agree with

62
people even if I know they are factually wrong.
0 1 2 3 4

Even if I don’t like someone, I still strongly desire for

63
them to like me.
0 1 2 3 4

I find it hard to make a decision unless I know what

64
other people think.
0 1 2 3 4

65 Tuning into my emotions is helpful. 4 3 2 1 0

66 My emotions do more harm than good. 0 1 2 3 4

67 Emotions are not useful, so I need to ignore them. 0 1 2 3 4

68 It is dangerous to feel emotions too strongly. 0 1 2 3 4

69 Things almost always go wrong for me. 0 1 2 3 4

70 In uncertain times, I usually expect the best. 4 3 2 1 0

Things inevitably don't go my way, so I prefer to

71
expect the worst to avoid disappointment.
0 1 2 3 4

72 I am pessimistic about the future. 0 1 2 3 4

73 If I make a mistake, I can let it go easily. 4 3 2 1 0

Achieving high standards is more important than my

74
own happiness.
0 1 2 3 4

75 I should always perform at an extremely high level. 0 1 2 3 4

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Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
disagree

76 It is ok for me not to be a high performer. 4 3 2 1 0

I try to be compassionate and understanding to

77
myself when I make a mistake.
4 3 2 1 0

78 If something goes wrong, I shouldn't get away with it. 0 1 2 3 4

79 If I fail, I should suffer the consequences. 0 1 2 3 4

It doesn't matter how small a mistake I make is, I

80
deserve to be punished for it.
0 1 2 3 4

I try to be compassionate and understanding to

81
others when they make a mistake.
4 3 2 1 0

82 People should be held to account for their failings. 0 1 2 3 4

83 If someone fails, they should face the consequences. 0 1 2 3 4

84 People deserve to be disciplined for their mistakes. 0 1 2 3 4

When I ask someone for something they should

85
agree to it.
0 1 2 3 4

86 I am above the usual rules that others follow. 0 1 2 3 4

87 Other people should appreciate how unique I am. 0 1 2 3 4

88 I deserve special privileges. 0 1 2 3 4

89 I am in complete control of my future. 0 1 2 3 4

90 There are limits to what I can do. 4 3 2 1 0

91 If I exert enough willpower, I can change anything. 0 1 2 3 4

I always maintain control so nothing is left up to

92
chance.
0 1 2 3 4

When my head says one thing and my heart says

93
another, I listen to my heart.
0 1 2 3 4

94 My feelings are a reliable way to make decisions. 0 1 2 3 4

My emotional reactions are accurate reflections of

95
reality.
0 1 2 3 4

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Strongly
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
disagree

When I face a problem I prefer to use my intuition

96
rather than thinking.
0 1 2 3 4

97 There is no justice in society. 0 1 2 3 4

98 I am often treated unfairly. 0 1 2 3 4

I commonly receive bad outcomes that I don't

99
deserve.
0 1 2 3 4

100 Good things happen to other people but not to me. 0 1 2 3 4

101 I have no purpose in the world. 0 1 2 3 4

102 It is pointless to search for life’s meaning or purpose. 0 1 2 3 4

Everything I do will always be fundamentally

103
meaningless.
0 1 2 3 4

104 Humans lead pointless lives. 0 1 2 3 4

105 I struggle to maintain a consistent sense of who I am. 0 1 2 3 4

I don’t know what my personal interests and beliefs

106
truly are.
0 1 2 3 4

107 I feel detached from myself. 0 1 2 3 4

108 My view of myself changes frequently. 0 1 2 3 4

Developer Reference:
Buchanan. B., Bartholomew. E., Smyth. C., Hegarty. D. (2024). A comprehensive questionnaire for schemas
related to psychopathology: The Maladaptive Schema Scale - Version 1.4 Corresponding author: Dr Ben
Buchanan - [email protected]

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