When I was starting out in 2015, I received tons of emails from coaches asking for help. Back then, I was running back-to-back successful virtual summits, and they wanted to know how I did it.
Talking to them, I learned what drove them to reach out and what they needed to keep their coaching business going.
One of our coaches, Steve Hall, was looking for a supportive team to back him up. Another coach, Henri Schauffler, needed a quick start to reach high-ticket clients.
Knowing what they were up against helped me shape my courses to actually deliver on what coaches are looking for.
Nowadays, there are a lot of motivation assessment scales online that eliminate the guesswork. Choosing the right one for your business will help you create personalized and impactful programs.
Inside this comprehensive guide you’ll learn how the tool works, complete with action steps, examples, and templates you can apply to your own coaching practice.
Motivation Level Scale Vs. Motivation Assessment Scale
There are many tools for evaluating motivation such as a ‘motivation level scale’ and a ‘motivation assessment scale.’
If you’re a motivation coach, these scales help you spot what really drives your clients and what’s holding them back.
- Motivation Level Scale (MLS): This measures the degree or intensity of an individual’s motivation towards a goal. Typically on a scale of low to high.
- Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS): The Motivation Assessment Scale helps identify your client’s behavioral patterns and motivators. Widely used by psychologists and social care workers to understand problem behaviors, specifically for people with learning disabilities.
Although these tools appear similar, they have the following key differences:
- Use: MLS is used to track changes in enthusiasm levels or compare results between individuals, while MAS is used to understand and provide intervention for motivation-driven behaviors.
- Results: MLS shows how much motivation someone has. MAS shows what kind of motivation is driving their behavior.
- Basis: MLS is based on motivation theories like the goal-setting theory, but MAS is based on functional behavior assessment and applied behavior analysis.
How to measure motivation level
You can assess your client’s drive level using different methods, depending on what is available to you. Here are some methods to choose from:
- Self-assessment survey: Ask your clients to answer a survey (using Likert scale, multiple choice or open-ended) to gauge their attitude and perception about a goal or task.
- Standardized questionnaires: Use established standardized tests to learn about particular aspects of motivation like intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation and motivation profiles.
- Observations: Take note of your client’s behavioral and physiological cues that could help you understand their motivation level. Think attention span, how they engage with tasks, or their heart rate.
- Evaluations: Use tools to see how motivated they really are. Look at how well they complete a task and how committed they are to finishing it. Both are solid signs of what’s driving them.
- Comparative study: Gain additional insights on your audience’s motivation by comparing their enthusiasm levels over time and across different contexts. You can also compare their results with another group to draw new learnings.
How to Score Motivation Assessment Scale: 6-Step Guide
Created by Drs. Durand and Crimmins in 1988 the Motivation Assessment Scale test originally had only 16 questions but was expanded to 57 questions to provide more comprehensive results.
The questions are categorized based on five subscales: sensory, escape demands, escape attention, attention, and tangible.
Each item can be answered on a six-point scale from “never” to “always”. This short test can be completed in 10 minutes.
If you decided to use the Motivation Assessment Scale test, here’s a five-step guide on how to score it:
- Add it up. Total the scores for each subscale.
- Find the average. Divide by the number of questions in each subscale.
- Spot what’s high and low. Scores of 4-6 are strong motivators, 0-2 are weak.
- Rank them. Order the subscales from strongest (6) to weakest (1).
- Make it make sense. The top score shows your client’s main driver.
- Coach to that. Build your plan around top motivation for better results.
Motivation Assessment Scale PDF Template
There’s no one-size-fits-all type of motivation assessment scale. If you can’t find one that suits your coaching needs, use this PDF template and build your own questionnaire.
Follow the format below:
I. Personal Information
- Name:
- Age:
- Gender:
- Occupation:
II. Expectations of Coaching Program:
- Goal #1:
- Goal #2:
- Goal #3:
III. Satisfaction and Engagement:
On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest), answer the following questions:
- Question #1: [e.g., “How satisfied are you with the results you’ve achieved so far?”]
- Question #2: [e.g., “How engaged are you when you do tasks related to your goal?”]
- Question #3:
- Question #4:
- Question #5:
IV. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation
On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest), indicate how much you relate to the statements below:
Intrinsic motivation:
- Intrinsic motivation #1: [Activity] aligns with my values.
- Intrinsic motivation #2:
- Intrinsic motivation #3:
Extrinsic motivation:
- Extrinsic motivation #1: I enjoyed being praised for [activity].
- Extrinsic motivation #2:
- Extrinsic motivation #3:
V. Challenges
- Challenge #1:
- Challenge #2:
- Challenge #3:
VI. Feedback
- Satisfaction and engagement: Get the average points of all the questions. If your client marked 4 and above, they’re currently highly satisfied and engaged in achieving their goals.
- Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation: Get the average points of intrinsic motivation statements. Do the same for extrinsic motivation statements. The type of motivation that has a higher mean grade reflects which driving force impacts your client more.
Motivation Assessment Scale Interpretation
Results of the Motivation Assessment Scale test are typically used to address problematic behaviors. As a coach, you can use it to understand roadblocks to your client’s growth.
For instance, if you’re a career coach and your client wants to make a career shift but they refuse to go on a job hunt, you can gain insight into what causes this inaction.
To do this, you have to go back to the average scores of the five subscales.
Each subscale shows what your client is drawn to. Take the Attention subscale, for example. If it scores high, your client’s actions might be fueled by a need to be seen or recognized.
Focus on the motivations that score highest first. Those are the ones driving your client the most, so tackling them upfront will get you better results
You can work on lower-scoring subscales in later coaching sessions.
Sensory subscale (result interpretation)
This means that your client is motivated by sensory input. Think movement, smells, sounds, textures and visuals.
As a coach, you can:
- Recommend sensory-rich activities like walking, dancing or working with their hands.
- Play around with different scents to lighten the mood (lavender and chamomile for calming, citrus and peppermint for energizing).
- Give them fidget tools to boost focus and ease stress.
- Take sensory breaks and reset using mindful breathing and grounding exercises.
Attention subscale (result interpretation)
This means that your client is motivated by receiving attention, whether that be the good or bad kind.
As a coach, you can:
- Praise your client after accomplishing a milestone.
- Affirm what they are doing right.
- Show them how dedicated you are to their growth by frequently checking in.
If you are a personal growth coach, you can also teach them appropriate ways of getting attention.
- Prepare scripts they can use to communicate their needs.
- Help them read the room and realize situations when they shouldn’t ask for attention.
Escape attention subscale (result interpretation)
This is the opposite of the Attention subscale. Your client avoids being the center of attention.
They might go out of their way to hide or distance themselves from others.
As a coach, you can:
- Schedule individual coaching sessions where they can be comfortable being themselves.
- Meet them in the comfort of their home or at a private location.
- Figure out the why. Give them journaling prompts about their urge to flee.
- Act out “awkward scenarios” that make them want to walk out. Help them practice what to say or do.
- Give them small exposure challenges. Make eye contact for three seconds or send a message to the group chat.
An empowerment coach can help clients with this result to break free from the fears holding them back. Think of them as a coach of a soccer team, guiding players to get the ball to the goal post by overcoming all other roadblocks.
Escape demands subscale (result interpretation)
This means that your client wants to avoid pressure. They won’t start tasks that are too overwhelming or stressful.
As a coach, you can:
- Break tasks into smaller chunks.
- Show them other ways to reach their goal.
- Make it fun! Use games and trivia to lighten the process.
- Positive reinforcements go a long way. Remind them that small progress is still progress.
A mindset coach can help clients with this result to shift their perspectives and manage stress.
Tangible subscale (result interpretation)
This means that your client is driven by the desire to obtain a reward or privilege. Think money, trinkets, and gold stars.
As a coach, you can:
- Hand them tokens as rewards for engaging in activities.
- Give out badges or certificates when they complete your course.
- Ask them to come up with their own First-Then statements [e.g., “First fifteen minutes on the treadmill, then I can eat cake.”].
- Introduce them to Experience Rewards, where instead of getting stuff, they get feel-good feelings. One example is feeling relieved since they finished a task early.
Motivation Assessment Scale Graph
Once your client finishes the Motivation Assessment Scale test, you can plug their results into a graph to make things clearer.
This visual shows which motivation subscale ranks highest, making it easier to spot what drives your client. In the sample graph, for example, Attention is the strongest motivator.
Here’s how to use the graph in your coaching:
- Start the conversation. Show them the graph and walk through their top result.
- Explain how their primary motivation influences what they do and what they’re drawn to.
- List down recommendations and action steps that you’ll include in your coaching plan.
Sounds meaningful, right? If you see yourself conducting motivation assessment testing in the future, include that among your marketing toolbelt. You can even:
- Create a coaching package where you conduct and interpret motivation assessment scales.
- Conduct motivation tests during initial calls with your client. Show them that you’re putting in the effort to get to know them.
- Spread the word via newsletter or social media. Let your audience know that motivation testing is something that you can do.
I’ve also compiled 14 other action steps you can use to get coaching clients.
Motivation Assessment Tools
There are a variety of motivation assessment tools you can incorporate into your coaching business. You can include any of these as part of your intake process to get to know a new client.
Aside from the Motivation Assessment Scale, here are four other options to choose from:
- Interviews: Gain in-depth insights from an individual by asking them to answer a set of guided questions. You can also observe their non-verbal cues when they respond.
- Motivation Questionnaire (MQ): Learn about how dimensions of motivation (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) impact a person’s behavior. Often used in a workplace context.
- Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI): This study examines the impact of a participant’s subjective experience of an activity.
- Motivation at Work Scale (MAWS): Use this to understand how factors like regulations, introjection, and identity impact a person’s motivation at work.
Other than these tools, there are practices you can do to get more helpful information.
In my case, I ask a couple of questions in initial assessments so I can understand my clients more before I start working with them.
I also send out an annual survey to get the pulse of our audience.
Motivation Level Questionnaire
Motivation level questionnaires answer the question WHY? They help you understand the conditions that can increase or decrease a coaching client’s motivation.
But… This tool is only as good as the questions you ask. Here’s a quick six-point checklist to keep you on track:
- Demographic information: Start your questionnaire by asking your clients to include relevant personal information like their name, age, gender, and occupation.
- Satisfaction and engagement: Get a baseline for their level of satisfaction and engagement in their discipline they want to develop. If they’re undergoing a fitness journey, how satisfied are they with their current results, and how engaged are they when exercising?
- Challenges: Ask them to share some struggles stopping them from reaching their goals. Also, take note of any problematic behavior that they want to address.
- Intrinsic motivation: Get to know the internal driving force of your clients like their interests and passions. Include questions to discover where they derive their sense of purpose [e.g., “What excites you most about this goal?”].
- Extrinsic motivation: What external factors influence your clients? Assess how they perceive being rewarded, recognized, and receiving incentives [e.g., “How does social media affect your goals?”].
- Feedback: Leave enough space to give an overview of the results and your recommendations. Indicate the legend for interpreting scores so your clients can easily understand their scores.
Motivation Assessment Scale Online
The MAS is publicly available on the web from educational and psychological sites. Check out this questionnaire from the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI).
This tool was designed for individuals with developmental disabilities and can be used by professionals such as:
- Psychologists
- Behavioral therapists
- Social workers
- Special Education teachers
- Caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities
- Other mental health professionals
The goal of this test is to create intervention plans that align with a person’s influences.
5 Types of Motivational Assessments For Coaches
Originally, the MAS was designed to help psychologists and educators working with individuals diagnosed with learning disabilities.
Although coaches won’t be able to provide a particular diagnosis, you can still use motivation assessments to understand how your clients would best respond to your program.
You can also choose from any of these five other motivational assessments to get to know your clients better:
- Personality assessment: Gain insight on how your client engages with the world, what they like or don’t like, and how they communicate.
- Strength assessment: Understand the competencies of your clients so that you can tap into their strengths.
- Motivation and behavior assessments: Learn about how your client’s actions are linked to different areas of motivation.
- Goal visualization: This method encourages clients to picture what success looks like for them. This exercise helps them clarify their goals and gives you a preview of their expectations from their coaching sessions with you.
- Interest assessment: Use interest tests to identify what makes your coaching clients happy and what keeps them engaged.
8 Examples of Motivation Assessment Scales
Transformational coaching happens when you find the right tools that best help your clients. Choosing the most suited one allows you to guide them the way they need to be guided.
Looking for specific motivation assessments that will suit your coaching practice? Check out these eight examples to help you:
- Motivational maps: Ask clients to answer a questionnaire to unlock how motivations related to achievement, creativity, and autonomy drive their actions.
- CliftonStrengths (formerly known as StrengthsFinder): Determine your client’s top strengths from a list of 34 talent themes. This can help both you and your client maximize their natural abilities to achieve success.
- VIA Character Strengths Assessment: This test highlights your client’s core values and virtues based on a list of 24 character strengths like leadership and kindness.
- DISC Personality Assessment: Discover your client’s personality type (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness) and learn how this impacts the way they interact with others.
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): This test tells you how your client interacts with the world. It introduces 16 personality types depending on four areas (Introvert/Extrovert, Intuitive/Sensing, Thinking/Feeling, Perceiving/Judging).
- Big Five Personality Traits: You can use this test to determine how your client’s dominant traits affect the way they behave. Five traits are being tested: Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
- Ikigai: This Japanese ideology can reveal your client’s motivations by assessing the intersection of what they love (passions), what they are good at (skills), what the world needs, and what they can be paid for.
- The Wheel of Life: Use this coaching tool to visually represent the different areas of a person’s life like career, health, and relationships. This makes it easy to identify what motivates them to prioritize aspects of their lives while neglecting others.
7-Step Guide On How Motivation Assessment Scales Work
Ready to run your own Motivation Assessment Scale? Follow these steps to make sure you get the most out of this assessment tool:
- Download the questionnaire: Print your test or use a template to create your own. Just make sure the instructions are clear and the scoring system actually works. It helps to get a second pair of eyes if you’re building your own.
- Explain the why: Make sure the purpose of the test is clear to your client. How will this help them learn? What objectives will testing achieve? If they have questions for you, be ready to answer them.
- Let them take the test: Leave your client to go through all the items. Remind them not to overthink their answers.
- Check for blanks: Make sure they answered all the questions. Results won’t be as accurate if they don’t complete it.
- Compute the scores: Use a rating scale to tally the results. This could be a number (average, sum) or a category (personality type, strengths).
- Interpret the results: Explain what your client’s score means. Did they get a high or low score? Were their marks below average or above average? But, for qualitative scores, define the category your client belongs to and give them examples.
- Implement a coaching plan: Customize an ideal plan playing into the strengths of your client. Reinforce helpful activities that they’re more naturally inclined to do.
To Understand Is To Succeed
Want high-ticket clients lining up?
Understanding what drives people is your edge. And the Motivation Assessment Scale is a smart place to start.
But motivation alone doesn’t sell your offer.
The real secret to gaining premium clients fast? Packaging it all into a high-ticket offer they can’t wait to buy.
Steal the 3-step system top coaches use to attract 3-5 premium clients fast.
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