Varieties of Sadistic Tendencies (VAST)

Unfortunately, some people take pleasure in inflicting pain, abuse, and humiliation on others. This personality trait is called "sadism"; it derives from the name of the French philosopher and writer who first described it, Marquis de Sade.

Usually, the tendency to sadism increases in late adolescence and is more characteristic for boys than girls. High rates of sadism in adults significantly increase the risk of committing a crime and can also lead to issues in the relationship with a sexual partner and job challenges.

The Varieties of Sadistic Tendencies (VAST) test was developed by Professor Paulhus, D. L. and allows you to quickly determine the level of your sadistic tendencies on two scales:

Direct sadism - cruel treatment, the tendency to aggression in order to humiliate another individual, restrict their freedom, and dominate them.

Vicarious sadism - the desire to watch how a person is being humiliated, is experiencing physical pain or moral torment. In this case, the observer is not the initiator of such actions.

Find out how strong your sadistic tendencies are with this free online test.