State-Trait Anxiety Inventory – STAI-Y
Measures the severity of temporary state anxiety and long-standing trait anxiety.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory – STAI-Y was developed by Charles D. Spielberger, Richard L. Gorsuch, R. Lushene, P. R. Vagg, & G. A. Jacobs (1983). It is designed to measure State and Trait Anxiety. The scale is intended for use with Adults and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 40 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: State Anxiety, Trait Anxiety.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| State Anxiety | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 20 |
| Trait Anxiety | 21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40 | 20 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all, 2 = Somewhat, 3 = Moderately so, 4 = Very much so.
The scale includes 19 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 20 to 80. Interpretation guidelines:
- No or Low Anxiety: 20 – 37
- Moderate Anxiety: 38 – 44
- High Anxiety: 45 – 80
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha typically ranges from 0.86 to 0.95.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.