Type D Personality Scale (DS14)
14 items on negative affectivity and social inhibition
Type D personality assessment, 14 items measuring Negative Affectivity and Social Inhibition.
Is your personality affecting your health?
Type D personality (the "D" stands for "distressed") is characterized by two traits: negative affectivity (tendency to experience negative emotions) and social inhibition (tendency to inhibit self-expression in social interactions). The DS14 measures both.
What Type D means
- Negative affectivity — worry, irritability, gloom
- Social inhibition — reticence, lack of assertiveness, discomfort in social situations
About this scale
Johan Denollet developed the DS14 in 1998 to study how personality relates to cardiovascular health. Two subscales, scored separately: negative affectivity and social inhibition. The Type D label needs both to be high.
Type D personality is associated with:
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
- Poorer outcomes after heart attack
- Higher mortality
- Lower quality of life
Result Interpretation
After completing the 14 questions, you'll receive an immediate, detailed report with:
- Your score — calculated automatically based on your responses
- Score interpretation — what your score means in practical terms
- Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available
All results are displayed on screen. No account or login needed.