How Passive-Aggressive Are You?
Assess your tendency toward indirect expressions of anger—through avoidance, procrastination, sarcasm, or silent treatment. Answer 21 questions honestly. Takes 4 minutes!
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About This Test
What It Measures
This test measures passive-aggressive behavior patterns using items adapted from research on indirect hostility. It evaluates four core strategies for expressing anger without direct confrontation: verbal aggression disguised as humor (backhanded compliments, sarcasm, public mockery), social exclusion (silent treatment, deliberate avoidance, cutting off contact), relational aggression (behind-the-back tattling, spreading embarrassing information), and behavioral sabotage (deliberate procrastination, fake forgetfulness, intentionally sloppy work). Passive aggression typically stems from discomfort with direct conflict but ironically damages relationships more severely than honest disagreement.
How It Works
You'll respond to 21 statements about how you behave toward people you dislike—from giving the silent treatment to deliberately doing poor work on their requests. Your responses reveal a spectrum from very low passive aggression (direct communication, open conflict resolution) to very high (chronic patterns of covert sabotage, behind-the-back undermining, and relational hostility). The test uses validated items distinguishing occasional passive behavior from entrenched patterns that significantly harm workplace dynamics and personal relationships.
When to Use This Test
Take this test if others have called you passive-aggressive, if you recognize using silent treatment or 'forgetting' tasks when angry, if you express dissatisfaction through sarcasm or deliberate inefficiency rather than direct conversation, or if you're curious whether your conflict-avoidance has crossed into covert hostility. This is a self-assessment tool based on behavioral research, not a clinical diagnosis—recognizing these patterns is the first step toward learning direct communication, which paradoxically causes less relationship damage than indirect aggression.