What this pettiness quiz measures
This am I petty quiz estimates how often indirect, sarcastic, or punishing communication patterns show up in how you report handling conflict. Twenty-two original agree-disagree items group into four domains inspired by pettiness behavior research from psychotherapist Andrea Brandt on hidden anger and communication scholar Deborah Tannen on indirect speech in close ties: covert hostility, passive resistance, withdrawal punishment, and indirect blame. Each item also maps to a fear-of-intimacy stack layer. Your pettiness tendency index averages these patterns into a 0 to 100 score where higher numbers mean more endorsement on this screener.
Scorekeeping grudges
Just-kidding barbs, sarcasm instead of direct argument, backhanded compliments, and criticism hidden in a helpful tone.
Petty competition
Agreeing then dragging feet, forgetting resented tasks, doing chores badly on purpose, and timing exits to signal annoyance.
Thin-skin reactions
One-word answers, punitive silence, cold distance until apology, and withdrawing warmth without words.
Vindictive pettiness
Saying fine when not fine, venting to third parties, martyr positioning, and bringing up old grievances sideways.
How it works
Three steps from first question to your pettiness tendency index report with fear-of-intimacy stack. Click Start Quiz to open the interactive quiz in a full-screen modal.
Answer 22 agree-disagree items
Rate how much you agree with each statement, from Strongly disagree to Strongly agree. You click Next after each answer; nothing auto-advances.
Items map to domains and intimacy stack
Your answers accumulate percentages for covert hostility, passive resistance, withdrawal punishment, indirect blame, plus four fear-of-intimacy stack layers.
View band and dual charts
Results show Lower, Mixed, or Higher Pettiness Tendency with domain bars and a fear-of-intimacy stack chart.
Take the pettiness quiz
Rate 22 statements about scorekeeping and small-grudge patterns. Your answers produce a pettiness tendency index from 0 to 100, a fear-of-intimacy stack index, four domain scores, and a band label for reflection or therapy conversation.
Opens in a focused modal. No account required. Results stay on screen.
What your pettiness tendency index means
Your pettiness tendency index is the normalized total across all 22 items on a 0 to 100 scale, with reverse scoring on direct-communication items. The fear-of-intimacy stack index uses the same answers mapped to vulnerability, trust, disclosure, and closeness anxiety layers where higher stack scores mean more guarded-closeness patterns. Domain bars show endorsement rates so you can see which indirect tactic drives your result most.
| Band | Index range | Typical reading |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Pettiness Tendency | 0 to 35 | Lower endorsement on this screener; context and stress can still shift individual items |
| Mixed Pettiness Tendency | 36 to 65 | Blend of direct and indirect habits; domain and stack charts show where closeness guarding appears |
| Higher Pettiness Tendency | 66 to 100 | Frequent endorsement on this screener; worth reflecting on impact in close ties |
What your pettiness quiz report looks like
After all 22 items, you get a pettiness tendency index from 0 to 100, a band label, four domain bars, and a fear-of-intimacy stack chart with vulnerability pull-back, trust hesitation, self-disclosure limits, and closeness anxiety layers.
What this quiz can and cannot tell you
Can tell you
- How much scorekeeping grudges, petty competition, thin-skin reactions, and vindictive pettiness showed up in your self-report
- A pettiness tendency index and fear-of-intimacy stack index with domain bars
- Which domain or intimacy stack layer feels strongest in your current patterns
- A starting point for therapy conversation about conflict style and closeness
Cannot tell you
- Whether you have pettiness personality disorder without clinical evaluation
- How every partner or coworker experiences your communication style
- Whether cultural norms around indirect speech explain your scores without professional context
- What specific repair steps others want without honest conversation
Pettiness, grudges, and the fear-of-intimacy stack
Clinical writers such as social psychologists note that scorekeeping and thin-skin reactions as anger expressed indirectly when direct confrontation feels unsafe. Communication researchers note that indirect speech can protect harmony in some cultures while leaving partners confused in others. The Quiz Hub built this screener as an original self-report tool inspired by those themes plus FOIS-style intimacy avoidance layers from Descutner and Thelen (1991), not a reproduction of any single published scale.
Readers often compare it to sibling tools on this site.
| The Quiz Hub test | What it adds |
|---|---|
| Am I mean quiz | Hostile tone and open retaliation domains, not scorekeeping or thin-skin reactions focus |
| Am I passive aggressive quiz | Hostile tone and open retaliation, not sarcasm with deniability |
| Am I mean quiz | Scorekeeping and small-grudge focus, not tallying favors or petty revenge |
| Fear of intimacy quiz | FOIS-inspired intimacy avoidance only, without pettiness domain bars |
| This pettiness quiz | Pettiness tendency index plus fear-of-intimacy stack for covert hostility, resistance, withdrawal, and indirect blame |
Sample item types include agree-disagree ratings such as whether you agree to a request and then drag your feet, or whether you bring up a small past slight to win someone without explaining your hurt. High scores on withdrawal with high intimacy stack layers often land in Mixed bands. Read how we review quizzes in our editorial policy or browse more tools on our personality psychology hub.
Am I Passive Aggressive Quiz FAQ
What does the am i petty quiz measure?
22 original agree-disagree items ask how much you endorse covert hostility, passive resistance, withdrawal punishment, and indirect blame in daily life and close relationships. Each item also maps to a fear-of-intimacy stack layer. You receive a pettiness tendency index from 0 to 100 where higher scores mean more endorsement on this screener. Self-reflection tool, not a clinical diagnosis.
What is the fear-of-intimacy stack on this quiz?
The fear-of-intimacy stack is a second results chart inspired by FOIS-style intimacy avoidance themes from Descutner and Thelen (1991), adapted to pettiness communication framing. Each item maps to one of four stack layers: vulnerability pull-back, trust hesitation, self-disclosure limits, and closeness anxiety.
How is this different from the am I mean quiz?
The am I mean quiz focuses on hostile tone, dismissive contempt, and open retaliation. This pettiness quiz uses agree-disagree items about indirect tactics such as sarcasm with deniability, slow-walking tasks, silent treatment, and martyr positioning, plus the same fear-of-intimacy stack chart in one report.
Can this quiz diagnose a personality disorder?
No. The pettiness tendency index describes self-reported communication patterns on this abbreviated screener. Only a licensed clinician can evaluate personality or relational patterns through structured interviews. Online quizzes cannot confirm or deny a diagnosis.
How long does the quiz take?
Most people finish in about 5 minutes. There are 22 items on a five-point agree-disagree scale. You can pause and return in the same browser session thanks to autosave.
Who reviewed this content?
Dr. James Whitfield, PhD, reviewed the test framing and result explanations. See our editorial policy for review standards.
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