OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS) scales among stroke survivors. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted at four comprehensive hospitals in Taizhou, Jiangsu, China. A sample of 232 first-ever stroke survivors were recruited from June to August 2023. Validity was examined using face validity and construct validity, which used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and known-group analysis. Reliability was evaluated by internal consistency and test-retest reliability. RESULTS: The BIS/BAS scales demonstrated satisfactory face validity. The findings of CFAs supported the original four-factor structure of BAS-reward, BAS-drive, BAS-fun seeking, and BIS with acceptable model fit indices. Discriminative validity, assessed via known-group analysis, indicated that stroke survivors with probable depression had significantly lower mean BAS-reward, BAS-drive, and BAS-fun seeking scores ( CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the BIS/BAS scales could be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring behavioral activation among stroke survivors.