Table of Contents
Instructions:
This questionnaire consists of a number of statements. We want you to decide for each one if it is TRUE or FALSE, as applied to you. If the statement is TRUE or MOSTLY TRUE as applied to you, tap the true button. If the statements is FALSE or MOSTLY FALSE as applied to you, tap the false button. Remember to give your own opinion of yourself.
| True | False | ||
| I feel relaxed even in unfamiliar social situations | 0 | 1 | |
| I try to avoid situations, which force me to be very sociable | 1 | 0 | |
| It is easy for me to relax when I am with strangers | 0 | 1 | |
| I have no particular desire to avoid people | 0 | 1 | |
| I often find social occasions upsetting | 1 | 0 | |
| I usually feel calm and comfortable at social occasions | 0 | 1 | |
| I am usually at ease when talking to someone of the opposite sex | 0 | 1 | |
| I try to avoid talking to people unless I know them well | 1 | 0 | |
| If the chance comes to meet new people, I often take it | 0 | 1 | |
| I often feel nervous or tense in casual get-togethers in which both sexes are present | 0 | 1 | |
| I am usually nervous with people unless I know them well | 1 | 0 | |
| I usually feel relaxed when I am with a group of people | 0 | 1 | |
| I often want to get away from people | 1 | 0 | |
| I usually feel uncomfortable when I am in a group of people I don’t | 0 | 1 | |
| I usually feel relaxed when I meet someone for the first time | 0 | 1 | |
| Being introduced to people makes me tense and nervous | 1 | 0 | |
| True | False | ||
| Even though a room is full of strangers, I may enter it anyway | 0 | 1 | |
| I would avoid walking up and joining a large group of people | 1 | 0 | |
| When my superiors want to talk with me, I talk willingly | 0 | 1 | |
| I often feel on edge when I am with a group of people | 1 | 0 | |
| I tend to withdraw from people | 1 | 0 | |
| I don’t mind talking to people at parties or social gatherings | 0 | 1 | |
| I am seldom at ease in a large group of people | 1 | 0 | |
| I often think of excuses in order to avoid social engagements | 1 | 0 | |
| I sometimes take the responsibility for introducing people to each other | 0 | 1 | |
| I try to avoid formal social occasions | 1 | 0 | |
| I usually go to whatever social engagements I have | 0 | 1 | |
| I find it easy to relax with other people | 0 | 1 | |
Description
This is a 28 item true/false scale that measures distress in social situations and the avoidance of social interactions. It also measures aspects of social anxiety including distress, discomfort and fear. Social avoidance was defined as “being with, talking to, or escaping from others for any reason . . . both actual avoidance and the desire for avoidance were included” (Watson & Friend, 1969, p. 449). Individuals who score high in the SADS are those who experience anxiety or distress with social interaction or anticipations of social interactions. Geist and Borecki (1982) found that persons high on the SAD had significantly lower levels of self-esteem. High SADS scores indicated significantly lower values of self-confidence, need for affiliation, need for change, and need for dominance (Geist and Borecki 1982).
Validity and Reliability
Watson & Friend (1969) studies 205 college students (145 females and 60 males). The distribution of scores was skewed, with high scores being rare; the modal score was 0. Mean scores differed by sex: males had a mean of 11.2 and females had a mean score of 8.24. Geist and Borecki (1982) also conducted a validation study with a similar college group, finding similar results. Discriminant and convergent validity from the scale was established through a correlation elf-confidence, need for affiliation, need for change, and need for dominance.
Interpretation
Scores consist of total raw score (from 0 to 28) and a percentile rank based on Watson and Friend’s validation sample. The overall mean for this sample was 9.11 and the standard deviation 8.01, although it should be noted that there was a strong positive skew in results. This, combined with the fact that the sample were university students, means that percentiles should be interpreted with caution. Watson & Friend divided their sample into high, average and low scorers as follows: Low 0 or 1. Average 2 to 11. High 12 and up. Generally the lower scores on the SAD are considered to be most adaptive because they are associated with self-esteem and social engagement, however, individuals who score very low on the SAD have been shown to have a higher need for social control and dominance (Geist & Borecki, 1982). Thus, very low scorers maybe resistant to prosocial activities. Higher scorers on the SADS have lower self confidence, lower need for social affiliation, low need for dominance and a high need for deference.
Developer
Watson, D., & Friend, R. (1969). Measurement of social-evaluative anxiety. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology; Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 33(4), 448.
Number Of Questions
28
References
Geist and Hamrick, (1983) Journal of Clinical Psychology, September. 1983, Vol. 39, No. 5
Developer Reference:
Watson, D., & Friend, R. (1969). Measurement of social-evaluative anxiety. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology; Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 33(4), 448.
This content is licensed under a CC-BY license. The CC-BY licenses grant rights of use the scales in your studies (the measurement instrument and its documentation), but do not replace copyright. This remains with the copyright holder, and you have to cite us as the source.
Mohammed Looti, PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES (2023) Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS). Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/social-avoidance-and-distress-scale-sads/. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31575.96163