POPS: OCPD Test Instructions

The statements below describe attitudes, opinions, interests, feelings, and behaviors that people may experience. For each item, mark the response that best describes the way you usually are.
Please respond to every statement, even if you are not completely sure of your answer. Read each statement carefully, but don’t spend too much time deciding on any one answer.

NOTE: Do not be concerned if you find that some of the statements are similar to each other. Answer each item on its own without concern for your other answers.

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Your download has begun and you will soon be given feedback on your POPS scores and a visual of your score profile. Completing this questionnaire is not meant to take the place of a mental health evaluation. The POPS scores are for your own personal information or to be used in the context of mental health treatment. We encourage you to discuss elevated scores with a mental health professional, and if needed, to consider treatment options.

Pathological Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Scale (POPS)

A t-score below 50 is below the mean of the control sample.
A t-score of 50 is at the mean
A t-score of 65 is 1.5 standard deviations above the mean of the control sample and can therefore be considered high.

Key:

POPS Total: Obsessive Compulsive Personality Pathology

* POPS Total = Severity Score for obsessive compulsive personality pathology.
** See page 3 of this report for how raw scores are calculated.

PATHOLOGICAL OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE PERSONALITY SCALE (POPS)
(a self-report measure of maladaptive obsessive-compulsive personality traits and severity)

For more information on the scale or to request a copy, contact Anthony Pinto, Ph.D. at apinto1@northwell.edu.

Factor	Definition	Sample Items
Specific Traits
Rigidity	Inflexible stance in relating to and viewing the world: Stubborn insistence on one's point of view, demands that others comply, and criticism of alternative view	- I insist that others do things my way. - People tell me that I am inflexible.
Emotional Overcontrol	Difficulty in accepting and expressing emotions as well as relating to the emotions of others	- It is difficult for me to relate to other people's emotions. - People have described me as being closed with my feelings.
Maladaptive Perfectionism	Self-imposed pressure to complete tasks with precision and at a high standard, at the expense of efficiency and productivity	- I spend too much time on something in order to get it just right. - I am hard on myself when I am unable to complete a task to my high standards.
Reluctance to Delegate	Unwillingness to let others complete tasks due to concerns they won't meet expectations or distrust of their ability to do it 'correctly'	- There are few people who can meet my expectations. - I end up doing a lot of jobs myself because no one can live up to my standards.
Difficulty with Change	Inability to cope with unexpected or unforeseen changes in one's schedule or routine	- It really irritates me when people don't stick to the plan. - I am easily upset by changes in my routine.
Severity Score
POPS Total	Obsessive compulsive personality pathology on a continuum of increasing severity and dysfunction	- Includes all 49 POPS items (see examples above).

Citation for POPS:

Pinto, A. (2020). Psychotherapy for obsessive compulsive personality disorder. In J. E. Grant, A. Pinto, & S. R. Chamberlain (Eds.), Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

References for the psychometrics of the POPS:

Pinto, A., Ansell, E. B., & Wright, A. G. C. (2011, March). A new approach to the assessment of obsessive compulsive personality. Integrated paper session conducted at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality Assessment, Cambridge, MA.

Wheaton, M. G. & Pinto, A. (2017). The role of experiential avoidance in obsessive-compulsive personality disorder traits. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 8, 383-388.

Sadri, S. K., McEvoy, P. M., Pinto, A., Anderson, R. A., & Egan, S. J. (2019). A psychometric examination of the Pathological Obsessive Compulsive Personality Scale (POPS): Initial study in an undergraduate sample. Journal of Personality Assessment, 101, 284-293.

How Raw Scores are Calculated

Reverse score items 19 and 25.
Sum items (strongly disagree = 1; disagree = 2; slightly disagree = 3; slightly agree = 4; agree = 5; strongly agree = 6) under each factor and sum all items for overall OCP-Pathology score.

Rigidity: 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, 24, 26, 31, 32, 33, 34, 38, 41
Emotional Overcontrol: 3, 14, 28, 29, 30, 36, 48
Maladaptive Perfectionism: 1, 7, 9, 18, 27, 37, 39, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49
Reluctance to Delegate: 2, 8, 19 (r), 20, 25 (r), 35, 40, 42
Difficulty with Change: 5, 6, 15, 16, 17, 23, 39, 43
Note that Item 39 is included in both Maladaptive Perfectionism and Difficulty with Change.

Copyright and Permissions

Pathological Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Scale (POPS)

For permission to use or adapt this instrument for clinical or research purposes in a form other than what is presented on this website, please contact Anthony Pinto, Ph.D., Northwell Health OCD Center, Zucker Hillside Hospital (apinto1@northwell.edu).

Citation for POPS:

Pinto, A. (2020). Psychotherapy for obsessive compulsive personality disorder. In J. E. Grant, A. Pinto, & S. R. Chamberlain (Eds.), Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

Privacy:

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