Accelerator or Brake: What Moves You?
How strongly you react to the chance of a reward - and to the chance of trouble
Psychologists have long argued that behaviour runs on two systems: one that pulls you towards things you want, and one that makes you stop and check when something could go wrong. They are not opposites. Some people have a strong accelerator and a strong brake at the same time, which feels like being pulled in two directions. This test measures the brake and three separate parts of the accelerator.
Before you start There are no right answers. Pick what is usually true for you, not what sounds best.
Think of how you react in general, across work, friends and free time, not in one unusual week.
What it measures
Four scores from the BIS/BAS model: inhibition, meaning how strongly the possibility of criticism, failure or trouble affects you; drive, meaning how hard you pursue what you want; fun seeking, meaning your appetite for new rewards on impulse; and reward responsiveness, meaning how intensely good things land when they happen. It is not a test of risk-taking or impulsivity, which the site measures separately, but of the motivational sensitivity underneath them.
Based on: BIS/BAS scales (Carver & White, 1994), based on Gray's reinforcement sensitivity theory
Possible results
Inhibition (the brake)
How strongly the chance of criticism or failure affects you.
Drive
How persistently you go after the things you want.
Fun seeking
Your appetite for new rewards on the spur of the moment.
Reward responsiveness
How intensely good things land when they happen.
Common questions
Is reward sensitivity the same as impulsivity?
No. Reward sensitivity is how strongly the prospect of something good pulls at you; impulsivity is how well you hold back once it does. The fun seeking score is the one built around acting on new rewards on the spot, so it sits closest to impulsivity of the four, but someone with high drive and strong self-control can pursue rewards very deliberately.
Can I be high on both the brake and the accelerator?
Yes, and it is common. The two systems were proposed as independent, not as two ends of one line. People high on both often describe wanting something badly and dreading it going wrong at the same time - ambitious and anxious rather than one or the other.
Is this the same as being a highly sensitive person?
Not quite. High sensitivity describes how deeply you process sensory and emotional input in general. The brake score here is narrower: it is about reacting to the possibility of punishment, criticism or failure. The two overlap, but plenty of people are sensitive to their surroundings without being especially worried about getting things wrong.
Sources
- Carver, C. S., & White, T. L. (1994). Behavioral inhibition, behavioral activation, and affective responses to impending reward and punishment: The BIS/BAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.67.2.319
- Corr, P. J. (2004). Reinforcement sensitivity theory and personality. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.01.005
An honest note The items are Quinthea's own wording adapted from the BIS/BAS scales, so your scores cannot be compared with the published norms. The model is debated: the theory behind it has been revised and clarified since 1994 in ways the original scales do not reflect, and studies disagree on whether the three drive-related scores are truly distinct. This is a normal-range trait profile, not a diagnosis. If worry or low mood is constant, talk to a professional.
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