Sociability Test
Do unfamiliar people and new situations energize you — or drain you? This classic 16-question sociability quiz, prepared by V. F. Roshchakhovskiy for the Soviet journal EKO in 1981 and reprinted for decades under the name "Ryakhovsky", maps where you sit between happily talkative and happily quiet. Answer quickly and honestly — the test works best on first instincts.
What does it measure?
Sociability — the ease with which a person starts and sustains contact with others. The original quiz was written for managers doing self-analysis: it probes everyday moments such as business meetings, public speaking, queues, complaints, and conversations with strangers, and reads your pattern of instinctive responses.
It is a popular applied quiz from a mass-circulation magazine, not a validated psychometric scale — think of it as a structured conversation starter with yourself. The classification describes communication styles rather than virtues or flaws: both extremes have their costs and their gifts, and the middle band is simply the statistical comfort zone. One quirk is preserved from the original: every "yes" adds points toward the withdrawn end, including on the item about sharing your feelings — the original answer key made no exceptions, so neither do we.
How to read your result
Each "yes" earns 2 points, each "sometimes" 1 point, each "no" 0 — the total runs from 0 to 32. Low totals describe people whom others would call highly sociable; high totals describe people who keep the world at arm's length; the middle bands describe increasingly selective styles.
None of the seven levels is "the right one." A quiet style suits deep work and small circles; a talkative style suits stage and sales floors. The result is worth most as a check on fit: if your style mismatches what your week actually demands, that gap — not the number — is the actionable part.
Show Details
About this test
The 1981 sociability quiz from the journal EKO: 16 questions, three answers, a 0–32 style readout across seven levels.
What the levels mean
The seven bands describe a spectrum of contact-making styles — from near-nonstop talkativeness at the very bottom of the scale, through balanced everyday sociability in the middle, to a clearly withdrawn pattern at the top. The descriptions follow the original classifier, reworded to describe habits rather than judge people.
About the name
The quiz first appeared as "Are you communicable?" ("Komunikabelny li vy?") by V. F. Roshchakhovskiy in the Soviet journal EKO, issue 10, 1981, adapted from similar quizzes in the Polish paper Kurier Polski and the Czechoslovak magazine Květy. Decades of reprints — including standard psychodiagnostics anthologies — attribute it to "V. F. Ryakhovsky"; the Russian test archive psytests.org, which collated it from the primary source, notes that this attribution is a misprint that spread through reprints. The Chinese name "Ryakhovsky test" follows the widespread reprinted attribution.
Disclaimer
This test is for educational and self-reflection purposes only. It is a popular magazine quiz from 1981, not a validated diagnostic instrument, and its results describe style, not ability or worth. If you are experiencing mental health concerns, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
References
- Рощаховский, В. Ф. (1981). Коммуникабельны ли вы? ЭКО, №10. — V. F. Roshchakhovskiy, “Are you communicable?”, EKO magazine (USSR), 1981, No. 10; adapted by the author from similar quizzes in Kurier Polski (Poland) and Květy (Czechoslovakia).
- Decades of reprints attribute the quiz to “V. F. Ryakhovsky” — e.g. in: Психологические тесты (Psychological Tests), ed. A. A. Karelina, 2 vols., Moscow: Vlados, 2005, Vol. 2. The Russian test archive psytests.org, collating the primary source, notes the familiar name is a misattribution that spread through reprints.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have another question? Let us know.
What is the sociability test?
A 16-question quiz from 1981 that reads your instinctive contact-making style. You answer "yes", "sometimes", or "no" to everyday situations — business meetings, public speaking, strangers, queues — and get a 0–32 score across seven descriptive levels, from nonstop talker to clearly withdrawn.
Who wrote it — and who is Ryakhovsky?
The quiz was prepared by V. F. Roshchakhovskiy for the Soviet journal EKO (issue 10, 1981), adapting similar quizzes from the Polish paper Kurier Polski and the Czechoslovak magazine Květy. Decades of reprints attribute it to "V. F. Ryakhovsky" — the Russian archive psytests.org, which collated the primary source, notes that the familiar name is a misprint that spread through reprints. Chinese sites follow the reprinted attribution, hence "Ryakhovsky test" (里亚霍夫斯基测试).
How is the score calculated?
Exactly as in the original: every "yes" earns 2 points, every "sometimes" 1 point, every "no" 0. The total runs from 0 to 32 — low totals describe more contact-seeking styles, high totals more withdrawn ones, with 14–18 as the original's balanced middle band. The original key makes no exceptions between items, so we make none either.
Is a high or low score better?
Neither. The classifier describes a spectrum of styles with trade-offs at both ends: the quietest bands may find group efforts harder, the most talkative bands may occasionally overwhelm a room, and the middle simply balances the two. The useful question is fit — whether your style matches what your work and relationships currently ask of you.
Is this a scientifically validated test?
No. It is a popular applied quiz written for a 1981 mass-circulation journal — a conversation starter, not a validated psychometric instrument. Treat the result as a mirror for reflection. If communication difficulties cause you real distress, a qualified professional can offer far more reliable assessment.
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