EPPS — Detailed Summary Respondents choose between paired
The Edwards Personal Preference statements, each representing different
Schedule (EPPS) is a personality needs. This format forces a preference and
assessment tool developed by Allen L. helps reduce socially desirable responding.
Edwards in the early 1950s (first edition 2. Ipsative scoring
1953; revised 1959). It was based on Henry Scores show the relative ranking of a
Murray’s theory of psychogenic needs, person’s own needs (high vs low within the
which suggested that human behavior is same person). Therefore, scores cannot be
guided by multiple underlying motivational compared across different people like in
needs (e.g., achievement, affiliation, norm-referenced personality tests.
dominance). Edwards aimed to transform 3. Fifteen needs
Murray’s theoretical needs into a practical, Needs measured include: Achievement,
objective personality inventory. Affiliation, Autonomy, Dominance, Order,
A major goal in creating EPPS was to reduce Exhibition, Succorance, Nurturance,
social desirability—the tendency of people Abasement, Aggression, Endurance, Change,
to answer in a way that makes them look and others including a Heterosexuality scale
good—something Edwards had studied (contextual relevance may vary).
previously. Over the decades, EPPS has been 4. Consistency scale
translated into many languages and is used Repeated items detect inconsistent
internationally. responding.
5. Practical administration
Purpose and Use Originally designed to be easily scored using
EPPS evaluates the relative strength of 15 simple stencils, contributing to its popularity
psychological needs or motives in an among clinicians.
individual. It measures personality in normal,
non-clinical contexts and is not intended to EPPS – 15 Personality Needs
diagnose disorders. It is mainly used to (Definitions)
understand a person’s motivational pattern— 1. Achievement
what drives their choices, relationships, and A need to accomplish tasks well, work toward
behavior. excellence, and succeed in activities.
Applications include 2. Deference
Personal counseling and A need to conform to customs and defer to
psychotherapy the opinions, rules, and authority of others.
Career guidance 3. Order
Personnel selection (with caution) A need to plan carefully, stay organized, and
Motivation and personality maintain structure and neatness.
research 4. Exhibition
Educational and organizational A need to be noticed, express oneself, and
settings become the center of attention in a group.
Its value lies in revealing what motives 5. Autonomy
dominate inside a person (not how they A need to be independent, free of
compare to others). obligations, and make one’s own decisions.
6. Affiliation
Structure and Key Features A need to develop close friendships,
EPPS has several features that distinguish it attachments, and social relationships.
from most personality tests:
1. Forced-choice format 7. Intraception
A need to understand feelings, thoughts, and forced-choice format lowers
motives—both one’s own and others’. correlations with external personality
8. Succorance measures
A need to receive support, comfort, some studies show acceptable
protection, and encouragement from others. measurement quality with modern
9. Dominance analytic methods (e.g., Rasch), but
A need to lead, direct, and influence others’ this often requires modified scoring
behavior and decisions. Modern evaluations suggest EPPS can be
10. Abasement psychometrically adequate if used carefully,
A need to accept blame, confess faults, and but traditional validity concerns remain.
be self-critical or submissive.
11. Nurturance Strengths
A need to assist, help, protect, and take care grounded in a major motivational
of others. theory (Murray)
12. Change good for exploring personal motives
A need to seek new experiences, variety, reduces faking and desirability bias
innovation, and avoid routine. highlights personal motivational
hierarchy
13. Endurance practical and historically influential
A need to persist, follow through, and useful in counseling, guidance, and
complete tasks even when difficult. self-understanding
14. Heterosexuality
A need to form relationships with, be Limitations
attracted to, and associate closely with ipsative scoring prevents meaningful
members of the opposite sex. comparison across individuals
15. Aggression weaker construct validity than modern
A need to express opinions, criticize, trait inventories
confront, or oppose others openly. mixed long-term stability
limited predictive ability for high-
stakes assessment
Psychometric Evidence some scales less reliable
Reliability less effective for normative evaluation
Studies generally show moderate-to-good or selection
reliability:
internal consistency around 0.60– Overall Significance
0.87 EPPS is one of the earliest and most
short-term test-retest around 0.74– influential needs-based personality tests. It
0.88 successfully links motivational theory with
longer-term stability often lower (0.50– standardized assessment. Today, it remains
0.67) helpful for understanding motivational
Scales tend to correlate weakly with each dynamics within a person, especially in
other, supporting that they measure distinct counseling and educational settings.
motivational needs. However, due to design limitations
Validity (especially ipsative scoring), it is less
Evidence is mixed: suitable for diagnosis, selection,
EPPS does reduce social desirability prediction, or comparing groups.
construct validity is often considered Modern revisions and research show that
weak or modest when carefully applied and interpreted, EPPS
can still contribute meaningfully to
personality assessment.
