What the MSS measures
Misophonia (literally "hatred of sound") is not simply being annoyed by loud noises (Hyperacusis). It is an intense, involuntary autonomic nervous system reaction (fight-or-flight) triggered by specific, often quiet sounds—most commonly chewing, breathing, sniffing, or typing. When a misophonic individual hears a trigger, the brain's anterior insular cortex goes into overdrive, resulting in instant rage, disgust, or severe anxiety, followed by an overwhelming urge to escape the situation or stop the noise.
The dimensions it assesses
- Oral Triggers: Sounds made by eating and the mouth — chewing, slurping, lip-smacking, crunching.
- Respiratory Triggers: Sounds made by breathing and the nose and throat — sniffing, audible breathing, throat-clearing, snoring.
- Environmental Triggers: Repetitive non-bodily sounds — tapping, clicking, dripping, scraping.
Already have a MSS score from somewhere else? Look it up without retaking the questionnaire.
What your score means
Sum the scores from Part B (Items 1-15).
| Score | Interpretation | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 14 | Subclinical / Mild Annoyance | Normal human irritation to unpleasant sounds. No clinical intervention needed. |
| 15 – 29 | Mild Misophonia | The sounds cause distinct, rapid anger, but the user can generally suppress their reaction and remain in the room without causing a scene. |
| 30 – 44 | Moderate Misophonia | The disorder is dictating lifestyle choices. The user actively avoids family dinners, certain coworkers, or public transit to prevent exposure. Frequent use of headphones. |
| 45 – 60 | Severe / Extreme Misophonia | Incapacitating. Triggers cause immediate fight-or-flight panic or rage. High risk of relationship destruction and occupational failure due to inability to tolerate the acoustic environment. |
These ranges describe groups of people, not individuals. A score near a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it, and no range on this table is a diagnosis.
What to do with your result
- The "Rage/Guilt" Cycle: High scorers must be educated that Misophonia is a neurological reflex, not a character flaw. The typical misophonic cycle is: Trigger → Instant Rage → Lashing Out → Profound Guilt. Understanding it is an autonomic neurological misfire helps alleviate the guilt.
- Coping Mechanisms: Standard earplugs often make misophonia worse by isolating the trigger sound (due to the occlusion effect and increased internal auditory gain). White noise generators, pink noise, or ANC (Active Noise Canceling) headphones streaming nature sounds are vastly superior.
- CBT & Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT): While there is no cure, specialized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy combined with TRT (gradual desensitization protocols) can help re-wire the brain's threat-response to the acoustic triggers.
Common questions about the MSS
- What does the MSS measure?
- Measurement of Misophonia: a neurobehavioral syndrome characterized by extreme emotional and physiological reactivity to specific pattern-based sounds (typically human oral or nasal noises).
- Can the MSS diagnose me?
- No. Sound Sensitivity (MSS) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. It describes tendencies rather than diagnosing anything, and no result here is a condition or something to fix.
- How long does the MSS take?
- 15 questions, which most people finish in 3 – 5 minutes. There is no time limit, and answering honestly matters more than answering quickly. The results page checks for patterns suggesting the questions were rushed.
- Is this MSS test really free?
- Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.
- Are my answers stored or shared?
- No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.
- How often should I retake the MSS?
- Traits and preferences move slowly, so retaking this every few months is more informative than retaking it often. Larger shifts usually follow a genuine change in circumstances.
- Who created the MSS, and is this the real version?
- It was published by Psychometrics Today (original items). Original items naming specific trigger sounds, grouped by the categories Wu et al. (2014) report as most commonly endorsed. The Amsterdam Misophonia Scale is not reproduced and was not consulted. The items here are the published ones rather than a paraphrase, and the scoring follows the original rules. Both are documented on this page so they can be checked.
- How accurate is the MSS?
- Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.
Sources
Items written by the Psychometrics Today Team, based on published theory. The theory is credited below.
- Schröder, A., Vulink, N., & Denys, D. (2013). Misophonia: diagnostic criteria for a new psychiatric disorder. PLoS One, 8(1), e54706.
- Wu, M. S., Lewin, A. B., Murphy, T. K., & Storch, E. A. (2014). Misophonia: incidence, phenomenology, and clinical correlates in an undergraduate student sample. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 70(10), 994-1007.
Licensing
Public domain. Original items naming specific trigger sounds, grouped by the categories Wu et al. (2014) report as most commonly endorsed. The Amsterdam Misophonia Scale is not reproduced and was not consulted.
Misophonia is not a DSM-5 diagnosis. This measures how strongly someone reacts to particular sounds and does not ask about the life changes that decide whether it is clinically significant, so a high score is a reason to seek assessment rather than a result in itself.