Social Suspiciousness Scale – Chinese Version

Description

Suspiciousness, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, refers to a state of mind wherein one harbors or exhibits mistrust towards someone or something. Past research has indicated a significant positive correlation between an individual’s level of suspicion and the frequency of aggressive and hostile behaviors. Suspicion is also a susceptibility factor for certain mental disorders; individuals with excessive suspicion are more prone to exhibit symptoms related to mental health. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) by the American Psychiatric Association identifies suspicion as a core diagnostic criterion for Paranoid Personality Disorder and one of the prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia. Social suspicion refers to the tendency of individuals to distrust others and question their intentions in social situations. Previous studies suggest that suspicion is not a binary phenomenon but rather exists on a continuum, ranging from normal social vigilance to paranoid delusions. Suspicion may be as common as anxiety and depression, and growing evidence supports this notion in diverse cultural contexts. Epidemiological surveys conducted in Western countries reveal that 10% to 15% of adults report having suspicious thoughts. Similar results have been found in samples of Chinese college students. To some extent, being wary of others’ intentions is adaptive; holding certain suspicious thoughts is not a clinical issue. However, when these thoughts become excessive, exaggerated, or unfounded and lead to distress, they may turn into clinical problems. Suspicion, paranoia, and delusions are commonly observed across various mental disorders. As the level of suspicion deepens, the individual’s distress increases, along with the likelihood of experiencing other psychological issues such as insomnia, depression, and substance abuse. Therefore, suspicion is a symptom variable worth monitoring, and understanding an individual’s level of suspicion is crucial for predicting their developmental trajectory.

Authors and Contact Email

Zhang Shuang, Cai Minmin, Chen Yunxiang, et al.

Purpose

To evaluate social suspicion in interpersonal contexts using the Social Suspiciousness Scale (SSS).

Test Year

2023

Administration Method and Scoring

The Social Suspiciousness Scale (SSS) consists of 22 items, which is a unidimensional scale designed to assess social suspicion, anger, and hostility in social contexts. A 5-point Likert scale is employed, ranging from 0 (完全不符合 – Completely Disagree) to 4 (完全符合 – Completely Agree). The mean of the item scores is taken, where a higher score indicates more severe social suspicion.

Reliability and Validity

The revised scale by Zhang Shuang and others includes 18 items, with the Cronbach’s α coefficient, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability (ICC) reported as 0.94, 0.91, and 0.79, respectively.

Factors and Subscales

Information not available.

Keywords

Suspiciousness, Social Suspicion, Mental Health, Scale, Reliability, Validity, Anxiety

Items in Chinese

1. 当别人看着我的时候, 我认为他们在想我不好的事情。
2. 当我觉得别人在评判我时, 我会生气。
3. 别人分享给我的信息往往是不真实的。
4. 有人帮我的忙, 背后总有不可告人的动机。
5. 我在购物时经常犹豫, 因为我感觉自己被宰了。
6. 把我的秘密托付给别人是很困难的。
7. 我要避免被别人谈论。
8. 其他人急于批评我的行为。
9. 人们总是在看我。
10. 我很难相信别人的道歉是真诚的。
11. 我不能相信别人。
12. 当我看到人们在窃窃私语时, 我认为他们在谈论我。
13. 如果我不谨慎的话, 别人就会占我便宜。
14. 当人们称赞我时, 我怀疑他们是否是真心的。
15. 当我和他人制定计划时, 我认为他们会取消或不执行。
16. 如果我在人行道上跌倒, 没有人会停下来帮助我。
17. 人们总是想找我麻烦。
18. 人们经常在朋友或同事的背后议论别人。

Items in English

1. When others look at me, I think they are thinking bad things about me.
2. I get angry when I feel others are judging me.
3. The information others share with me is often untrue.
4. When someone helps me, there’s always a hidden motive behind it.
5. I often hesitate while shopping because I feel like I am being cheated.
6. It is difficult for me to trust others with my secrets.
7. I want to avoid being discussed by others.
8. Others are eager to criticize my actions.
9. People are always watching me.
10. I find it hard to believe that other’s apologies are sincere.
11. I cannot trust others.
12. When I see people whispering, I think they are talking about me.
13. If I am not careful, others will take advantage of me.
14. When people compliment me, I doubt they are sincere.
15. When I make plans with others, I think they will cancel or not follow through.
16. If I fall on the sidewalk, no one will stop to help me.
17. People always want to cause me trouble.
18. People often talk about others behind their backs.

References

张爽,蔡旻旻,陈云祥,等.社交猜疑量表测评大学生的效度和信度[J].中国心理卫生杂志,2023,37(03):254-258.
赵信民,徐蜥,邸嘉楠,等.中文版社交猜疑量表在大学生群体中的信效度检验[J].中国临床心理学杂志,2023,31(03):635-639+644.DOI:10.16128/j.cnki.1005-3611.2023.03.025.