Self-Consciousness Scale – SCS
Measures individual differences in private self-consciousness, public self-consciousness, and social anxiety.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Self-Consciousness Scale – SCS was developed by Allan Fenigstein, Michael F. Scheier, Arnold H. Buss (1975). It is designed to measure Self-consciousness. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 23 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Private Self-Consciousness, Public Self-Consciousness, Social Anxiety.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Private Self-Consciousness | 1,3,5,7,9,13,15,18,20,22 | 10 |
| Public Self-Consciousness | 2,6,11,14,17,19,21 | 7 |
| Social Anxiety | 4,8,10,12,16,23 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Extremely uncharacteristic, 1 = Generally uncharacteristic, 2 = Equally characteristic and uncharacteristic, 3 = Generally characteristic, 4 = Extremely characteristic.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 92. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Self-Consciousness: 0 – 30
- Moderate Self-Consciousness: 31 – 60
- High Self-Consciousness: 61 – 92
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from .79 to .84 for the subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.