The
Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is an empirically derived self-report inventory developed as a specific measure of social phobia. The current investigation included two studies. The first examined the correlation of the SPAI with daily social behavior of a clinic sample of social phobics. The results indicated that the SPAI provides a reasonable indication of the distress experienced during daily social encounters in three dimensions: behavior, cognitions, and overall distress. The second study examined the validity of the SPAI with reference to the somatic response and avoidance behavior of social phobics. The results indicated that the somatic items of the SPAI are related to the somatic response of social phobics and that performance on the SPAI is associated with avoidance behavior in an anxiety-producing task.
Introduction
Social phobia is a common and debilitating anxiety disorder that affects approximately 12% of the population worldwide. Individuals with social phobia experience intense fear and anxiety in social situations, such as public speaking, meeting new people, or eating in front of others. This fear can lead to avoidance of social situations, which can have a significant impact on quality of life.
The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is a self-report measure that is used to assess the severity of social phobia. The SPAI was developed by Turner, Beidel, Dancu, and Stanley (1989) and has been shown to have good psychometric properties, including reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change.
The SPAI
The SPAI consists of 45 items that assess three dimensions of social phobia: cognitive, somatic, and behavioral. The cognitive dimension measures the thoughts and beliefs that individuals with social phobia have about social situations. The somatic dimension measures the physical symptoms that individuals experience in social situations. The behavioral dimension measures the avoidance and escape behaviors that individuals engage in to avoid social situations.
The SPAI is scored by summing the responses to the items. The total score can range from 0 to 180, with higher scores indicating greater severity of social phobia. The SPAI also includes three subscale scores: the Cognitive subscale, the Somatic subscale, and the Behavioral subscale.
Psychometric Properties
The SPAI has good psychometric properties. The test-retest reliability of the SPAI is good, with a correlation of 0.85 over a 2-week period. The internal consistency of the SPAI is also good, with alpha coefficients ranging from 0.87 to 0.93 for the total score and the subscales.
The SPAI has been shown to have good validity. The SPAI is correlated with other measures of social phobia, such as the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) and the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE). The SPAI has also been shown to be sensitive to change, meaning that it can detect changes in social phobia severity over time.
Use of the SPAI
The SPAI is a useful tool for assessing the severity of social phobia. The SPAI can be used to diagnose social phobia, to monitor the progress of treatment, and to assess the effectiveness of different treatment interventions. The SPAI is also a valuable tool for research on social phobia.
Limitations
The SPAI has a few limitations. The SPAI is a self-report measure, which means that it is subject to bias. Individuals with social phobia may be reluctant to report their true symptoms, which can lead to an underestimation of the severity of their social phobia.
The SPAI is also not a diagnostic tool. The SPAI cannot be used to diagnose social phobia on its own. The SPAI should be used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools, such as a clinical interview, to make a diagnosis of social phobia.
Conclusion
The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is a well-validated self-report measure that is used to assess the severity of social phobia. The SPAI is a valuable tool for diagnosing social phobia, monitoring the progress of treatment, and assessing the effectiveness of different treatment interventions.
1. I feel anxious when entering social situations where there is a small group.
2. I feel anxious when entering social situations where there is a large group.
3. I feel anxious when I am in a social situation and I become the center of attention.
4. I feel anxious when I am in a social situation and I am expected to engage in some activity.
5. I feel anxious when making a speech in front of an audience.
6. I feel anxious when speaking in a small informal meeting.
7. I feel so anxious about attending social gatherings that I avoid these situations.
8. I feel so anxious in social situations that I leave the social gathering.
9. I feel anxious when in a small gathering with:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
10. I feel anxious when in a large gathering with:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
11. I feel anxious when in a bar or restaurant with:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
12. I feel anxious and I do not know what to do when in a new situation with:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
13. I feel anxious and I do not know what to do when in a situation involving confrontation with:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
14. I feel anxious and I do not know what to do when in an embarrassing situation with:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
15. I feel anxious when discussing intimate feelings with:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
16. I feel anxious when stating an opinion to:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
17. I feel anxious when talking about business with:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
18. I feel anxious when approaching and/or initiating a conversation with:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
19. I feel anxious when having to interact for longer than a few minutes with:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
20. I feel anxious when drinking (any type of beverage) and/or eating in front of:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
21. I feel anxious when writing or typing in front of:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
22. I feel anxious when speaking in front of:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
23. I feel anxious when being criticized or rejected by:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
24. I attempt to avoid social situations where there are:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
25. I leave social situations where there are:
a. Strangers
b. Authority Figures
c. Opposite sex
d. People in general
26. Before entering a social situation I think about all the things that can go wrong. The types of thoughts I experience are:
a. Will I be dressed properly?
b. I will probably make a mistake and look foolish.
c. What if no one speaks to me?
d. If there is a lag in the conversation what can I talk about?
27. I feel anxious before entering a social situation.
28. My voice leaves me or changes when I am talking in a social situation.
29. I am not likely to speak to people until they speak to me.
30. I experience troublesome thoughts when I am in a social setting. For example:
a. I wish I could leave and avoid the whole situation.
b. If I mess up again I will really lose my confidence.
c. What kind of impression am I making?
d. Whatever I say it will probably sound stupid.
31. I experience the following prior to entering a social situation:
a. Sweating
b. Blushing
c. Shaking
d. Frequent urge to urinate
e. Heart palpitations
32. I experience the following in a social situation:
a. Sweating
b. Blushing
c. Shaking
d. Frequent urge to urinate
e. Heart palpitations
33. I feel anxious when I am home alone.
34. I feel anxious when I am in a strange place.
35. I feel anxious when I am on any form of public transportation (i.e.‚ bus‚ train‚ airplane).
36. I feel anxious when crossing streets.
37. I feel anxious when I am in crowed places (i.e.‚ stores‚ church‚ movies‚ restaurants‚ etc.).
38. Being in large open spaces makes me feel anxious.
39. I feel anxious when I am in enclosed places (elevators‚ tunnels‚ etc.).
40. Being in high places make me feel anxious (i.e.‚ tall buildings).
41. I feel anxious when waiting in a long line.
42. There are times when I feel like I have to hold on to things because I am afraid I will fall.
43. When I leave home and go to various public places‚ I go with a family member or friend.
44. I feel anxious when riding in a car.
45. There are certain places I do not go because I may feel trapped.
Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C)
Beidel‚ Turner & Morris. 1995
Factor 1—Assertiveness/General Conversation
-something said that is wrong or bad
-an embarrassing situation
-asked to do something that I don’t want to do
-ignored or made fun of by others
-someone starts arguing
-I start to talk to someone
-when with others‚ I think “scary” thoughts
-before going places‚ I think about what might go wrong
-ask questions in class
-school cafeteria
-I have to talk for longer than a few minutes
-avoid social situations
-become the center of attention
Factor 2—Traditional Social Encounters (6%)
—in a social situation‚ I feel (somatic symptoms) .79
—before going someplace‚ I feel (somatic symptoms) .77
—parties‚ dances‚ school or any interaction and go home early . 71
—leave social situations .63
—avoid social situations (parties‚ school‚ playing with others) .56
—school play‚ choir‚ music or dance recital .53
—before going someplace‚ I think about what might go wrong .52
—when with others‚ I think “scary” thoughts .50
—school cafeteria
Factor 3—Public Performance
—speaking or reading aloud in front of a group
—speaking in front of the class
—others watch me do something
—answering questions in class
—in a school play‚ choir‚ music or dance recital
—with others and become the center of attention
—joining a large group
Note. The entire factor loading table is available on request from Deborah C. Beidel.
1=Never‚ 2=Very Infrequent‚ 3=Infrequent‚ 4= Sometimes‚ 5= Frequent‚ 6= Very Frequent‚ 7= Always
Beidel‚ D.C.‚ Borden‚ J.W.‚ Turner‚ S.M.‚ & Jacob‚ R.G. (1989). The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory: Concurrent validity with a clinical sample. Behavioural Research and Therapy‚ 27‚ 573-576.
Beidel‚ D.C.‚ Turner‚ S.M.‚ & Cooley‚ M.R. (1993). Assessing reliable and clinically significant change in social phobia: Validity of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory. Behavioural Research and Therapy‚ 31‚ 331-337.
Beidel‚ D.C.‚ Turner‚ S.M.‚ Stanley‚ M.A.‚ & Dancu‚ C.V. (1989). The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory: Concurrent and external validity. Behavior Therapy‚ 20‚ 417-427.
Turner‚ S.M.‚ Beidel‚ D.C.‚ Dancu‚ C.V.‚ & Stanley‚ M.A. (1989). An empirically derived inventory to measure social fears and anxiety: The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory. Psychological Assessment‚ 1‚ 35-40.
Turner‚ S.M.‚ Stanley‚ M.A.‚ Beidel‚ D.C.‚ & Bond‚ L. (1989). The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory: Construct validity. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment‚ 11‚ 221-234.
Beidel‚ D.C.‚ Turner‚ S.M.‚ Morris‚T.L. (1995). A New Inventory to Assess Childhood Social Anxiety and Phobia: The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children. Psychological Assessment‚ 7(1)‚ 73-79.
Casten‚ Kircia Marie.‚ Herbert‚ James D. (2004). Marital Functioning and Communication in a Clinical Sample of Social Anxiety Disorder Clients. Drexel University. Doctoral dissertation.
