Do You Have an Over-Controlled Personality Style?

Take our brief quiz to learn more.

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Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT) is an evidence-based treatment designed for individuals who tend to be over-controlled—people who are highly responsible, perfectionistic, reserved, and driven, yet often feel disconnected, misunderstood, or emotionally isolated.

We took the OC Trait Rating Scale (Seretis, D., Hempel, R.J. & Lynch, T.R (2015)) and turned it into a quiz that you can take on our website! This quick questionnaire can help you explore whether an over-controlled coping style might be shaping your relationships, emotions, and daily life. It’s not a diagnostic tool, but it can offer insight into your patterns and whether our comprehensive RO-DBT program might be a helpful next step.

Instructions: Listed below are a number of statements. Please read them carefully and decide how much each statement applies to you according to your present and past experiences. In completing this questionnaire, it is important to understand that there are no "right" or "wrong" answers. We are interested in finding out how people think, feel or behave across different settings and circumstances.

Scoring basics: Each item is rated 1-6.

1 = Disagree Completely 2 = Disagree Strongly 3 = Disagree Somewhat 4 = Agree Somewhat 5 = Agree Strongly 6 = Agree Completely

1. When challenged by someone I tend to immediately deny, dismiss, or dispute the feedback.

2. There is always a right and a wrong way to do things.

3. My mind often goes blank when I have to speak about my feelings.

4. Very few people really know the real me.

5. I always make time for enjoyment or fun.

6. On the surface I appear calm, but inwardly I am often fearful or irritable.

7. My dream life involves having a new experience every day.

8. Most of the time life seems easy.

9. I often feel detached from others.

10. If I’m invited to a party I usually attend out of obligation, not because I expect it to be fun.

10. If I’m invited to a party I usually attend out of obligation, not because I expect it to be fun.My dream life involves having a new experience every day.

11. Most people may not know that I will do almost anything to get ahead.

12. I often feel compelled to correct mistakes made by others.

13. I am sometimes so open to new ideas that people have described me as naive or gullible.

14. Having to be around others for long periods of time is exhausting.

15. In life, there is a set of rules and principles that one should always adhere to.

16. I am proud of my ability to tolerate pain or distress in order to achieve a goal.

17. Most things in life don’t work out.

18. I often notice errors that other people miss.

19. Very few people know that I can have an explosive temper.

20. My anxiety often interferes with my ability to hear what another person is saying.

21. I dislike details.

22. I find something positive or amusing in almost every situation.

23. I often mask or hide my inner feelings from others.

24. I feel content with my life.

Score Calculations

Your score is / 168

Disclaimer: This quiz is an online, adapted version of the OC Trait Rating Scale (Seretis, D., Hempel, R. J., & Lynch, T. R., 2015) and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It does not provide a diagnosis, psychological assessment, or clinical evaluation. Completing this quiz does not establish or imply a therapeutic relationship with our practice or any of our clinicians. If you have concerns about your mental health or believe you may benefit from therapy, we encourage you to contact our office directly to schedule a professional consultation.