Activity-Feeling States (AFS) Scale
Consider your experience while solving the SOMA puzzles.
For each item below, circle a number near 7 if you strongly agree that SOMA-solving makes you feel that way. Circle a number near 1 if you strongly disagree that SOMA-solving makes you feel that way. If you agree and disagree equally with the item, then circle a number near 4.
Solving the SOMA Puzzle makes me feel...
Agree &
Strongly Disagree Strongly
Disagree Equally Agree
Capable1234567
I belongand the people here care about me1234567
Stressed1234567
Free1234567
Involved with close friends1234567
Pressured1234567
Competent1234567
I’m doing what I want to be doing1234567
Uptight1234567
Emotionally close to the people around me1234567
My skills are improving1234567
Free to decide for myself what to do123456 7
Scoring Key
Autonomy= Mean (Free, I’m doing what I want to be doing,
Free to decide for myself what to do)
Competence= Mean (Capable, Competent, My skills are improving)
Relatedness= Mean (I belong and the people here care about me, Involved with close friends, Emotionally close to the people around me)
Please see “Notes” on the next page.
Notes
“Stressed”, “Pressured”, and “Uptight” are filler items that are not scored.
To use the scale, replace “Solving the SOMA puzzle” in the directions and in the sentence stem by change it to the activity of interest in your study. For instance, if you were assessing psychological need satisfaction in a classroom context, you might replace “Solving the SOMA puzzle makes me feel” with “Being is this class makes me feel” or “Being in this Math class makes me feel”.
Original Reference:
Reeve, J., & Sickenius, B. (1994). Development and validation of a brief measure of the
threepsychological needs underlying intrinsic motivation: The AFS Scales.
Educational andPsychological Measurement, 54, 506-515.
Psychometric Properties
The scale has been used successfully in many of our published studies, studies that have shown that the three scales within the AFS all possess acceptable psychometric properties—acceptable internal consistency, good construct validity, and good predictive validity.
For the successful prior use of the scale, see the following:
Jang, H., Kim, E. J., & Reeve, J. (2012). Longitudinal test of self-determination theory’s
motivation mediation model in a naturally-occurring classroom context.
Journal of Educational Psychology, 104., 1175-1188.
Reeve, J., & Tseng, C.-M. (2011). Agency as a fourth aspect of students’ engagement
during learning activities. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36, 257-267.
Jang, H., Reeve, J., Ryan, R. M., & Kim, A. (2009). Can self-determination theory explain what
underlies the productive, satisfying learning experiences of collectivistically-oriented
South Korean adolescents? Journal of Educational Psychology, 101, 644-661.
Reeve, J., & Jang, H. (2006). What teachers say and do to support students’ autonomy during
learning activities. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 209-218.
Reeve, J., Nix, G., & Hamm, D. (2003). The experience of self-determination in intrinsic
motivation and the conundrum of choice. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95,375-392.