The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory: Reliability and Validity in an Adolescent Spanish Population

The objective of this study is to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the SPAI in a sample of adolescent Spaniards. The results obtained support the use of the correlated two-factor SPAI subscales and indicate high coefficient alpha values for the SPAI subscales. The results provide support for the use of the SPAI in an adolescent population in a non-English-speaking country. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the Social Phobia subscale showed a four-factor structure, instead of a five-factor dimension, as suggested by previous studies. Effects for gender and age and gender interaction were found. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Psychometric Properties of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory, the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale in an Adolescent Spanish-Speaking Sample

The relationship among several social anxiety measures and a semistructured interview in an adolescent Spanish-speaking sample is examined. Construct validity and test-retest reliability were tested. A principal axis factor analysis was also explored. Results revealed good construct validity and alpha coefficients for the assessment instruments such as the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI), the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A), the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNES) and the Social Avoidance Distress Scale (SADS). Among these, data strongly support the validity of the Social Phobia and Difference measures of the SPAI and Total SAS-A score as assessment measures in the adolescent population even in non-American cultures and languages. Furthermore, results appear to support the presence of a single higher-order dimension, social anxiety, as measured by the instruments used in this study.     

Social Phobia and the Experience of Shame: Childhood Origins and Pastoral Implications

While social phobia is typically diagnosed in adolescence, the roots of social phobia are found in childhood experiences of shame. When shame occurs because of a failure to meet a child’s need this creates a fundamental uncertainty which can become internalized in the form of self-contempt. Emotions such as sadness are sometimes forbidden by caregivers, and the expression of natural sexual drives are sometimes prohibited. Such experiences create shame and may keep the person from feeling emotions and drives because shame has displaced the real emotion. The fractures in early relationships can be restored through the healing presence of another. The pastor has access to persons with social phobia who may not be willing to seek psychiatric care and is in a unique position to bring the resources of the church to bear in the lives of persons with social phobia. To do so, she moves away from the extroverted frame of reference within which the church frequently operates.Philip Browning Helsel, a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, serves as a Chaplain Resident in the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Yuma Regional Medical Center in, Yuma, AZ     

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Social Phobia Symptoms

This study examined two forms of social anxiety or phobia, social phobia as defined by DSM-IV and Taijin Kyofusho (TKS, a Japanese form of social anxiety), in relation to their respective culturally prescribed self-construals as independent and interdependent. Japanese university students (N = 124) and U.S. university students (N = 123) were administered the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, the Social Phobia Scale, the TKS Scale, and the Self-Construal Scale. From the results of a hierarchical regression analysis, TKS symptoms are more likely to be expressed by individuals who are Japanese and individuals who construe themselves low on independence but high on interdependence. In addition, social phobia symptoms are more likely to be expressed by individuals who construe themselves low on independence but high on interdependence irrespective of culture. Implications for therapists from each culture who have clients who present social anxiety or phobia symptoms are discussed.     

Cognitive Correlates of Social Phobia Among Children and Adolescents

We examined different cognitive phenomena in relation to social phobia among children (aged 7 to 11) and adolescents (aged 12–16) separately. Fifty socially phobic youths were compared to 30 normal control children on measures of social anxiety, social expectation as well as self- and observer-rated performance during two social tasks involving a same-aged peer. Additionally, a video-mediated recall procedure was conducted immediately following the two behavioral tasks to examine specific types of self-talk. Results indicated that socially phobic youths had lower expectations of their performance and rated their actual performance worse than controls during a social interaction task, but not a read-aloud task. Self-ratings of decreased performance among socially phobic youths were corroborated by blind observers. Although differences in specific types of self-talk were found between the two groups, these findings were generally moderated by age. Furthermore, certain cognitive symptoms associated with the disorder were more commonly found among older socially phobic youths. The current findings highlight the importance of considering developmental factors in the presentation and treatment of social phobia in youths.     

Mindfulness and the Attenuation of Post-Event Processing in Social Phobia: An Experimental Investigation

The present experimental study examined the ability of metacognitive strategies to reduce the distress associated with post-event processing (PEP). Individuals with DSM-IV generalized social phobia (N = 57) were randomly allocated to receive brief training in mindfulness, distraction, or no training (control group). Next, they underwent an experimental PEP induction. Following the induction, they were instructed to apply the metacognitive strategy (mindfulness or distraction) they were taught or to continue thinking about the social event the way they typically would following such an event (control). Participants rated their distress on a visual analogue scale prior to the PEP induction, and then every minute for 5 min while applying the metacognitive strategy. They also rated their affect immediately after applying the metacognitive strategy. Results suggest that mindfulness reduces distress significantly over the post-event period and results in significantly more positive affect than when receiving no training. In contrast, distraction does not reduce distress over the post-event period performs comparable to receiving no training. The results of this experimental investigation suggest that mindfulness has the potential to reduce distress associated with PEP and provide further support for the clinical utility of mindfulness in the treatment of generalized social phobia.     

Modification of Cognitive-Behavioral Techniques in the Treatment of a Five Year-Old Girl with Social Phobia

Social phobia is a debilitating anxiety disorder that often goes undetected in young children, but can be effectively treated with cognitive-behavioral interventions. For children and adolescents, treatment usually includes education, social skills training, cognitive restructuring, relaxation training, and exposure. However, for very young children who present with social phobia, it is necessary to adapt treatment to the developmental level of the child. A case illustration demonstrates the way in which cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) was modified for the treatment of a five year-old girl with social phobia. Several modifications were made, including utilizing novel exposure techniques and emphasizing parent management training in order to promote generalization of treatment gains outside of session.     

Development of a Brief Version of the Social Phobia Inventory Using Item Response Theory: The Mini-SPIN-R

The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) is a widely used measure in mental health settings and a 3-item version (mini-SPIN) has been developed as a screening instrument for social anxiety disorder. In the present study, we examined the psychometric properties of the SPIN and developed a brief version (mini-SPIN-R) designed to assess social anxiety severity using item response theory. Our sample included 569 individuals with social anxiety disorder who participated in 2 clinical trials and filled out a battery of self-report measures. Using a nonparametric kernel smoothing method we identified the most sensitive items of the SPIN. These 3 items comprised the mini-SPIN-R, which was found to have greater internal consistency, and to capture a greater range of symptoms compared to the mini-SPIN. The mini-SPIN-R evidenced superior convergent validity compared to the mini-SPIN and both measures had similar divergent validity. Thus, the mini-SPIN-R is a promising brief measure of social anxiety severity.     

Psychometric Properties of the Gaze Anxiety Rating Scale: Convergent,Discriminant, and Factorial Validity

Fear and avoidance of gaze are two features thought to be associated with problematic social anxiety. Avoidance of eye contact has been linked with such undesirable traits as deceptiveness, insincerity, and lower self-esteem. The Gaze Anxiety Rating Scale (GARS) is a self-report measure designed to assess gaze anxiety and avoidance, but its psychometric properties have only been assessed in one preliminary study. We further investigated psychometric properties of the GARS by assessing convergent and factorial validity. We obtained a two-factor solution: gaze anxiety and avoidance across situations (1) in general (GARS-General) and (2) related to dominance communication (GARS-Dominance). The GARS-General factor related more strongly to social anxiety than the GARS-Dominance, and convergent validity of the factors was supported by expected relationships with personality and social anxiety variables. Our results indicate that the GARS subscales are psychometrically valid measures of gaze aversion, supporting their use in future study of the relationship between social anxiety and eye contact behavior.     

Expectations and Attributions in Social Anxiety Disorder: Diagnostic Distinctions and Relationship to General Anxiety and Depression

Contemporary cognitive models suggest that social anxiety disorder arises from a number of cognitive factors, including tendencies to form pessimistic (rather than optimistic) attributions and expectations for socially-related events. These models also assume that the strengths of such attributions and expectations are more closely linked with social anxiety than with general anxiety or depression. To test these assumptions, a battery of self-report measures was completed by participants with a primary diagnosis of generalized social anxiety disorder (n?=?75), panic disorder with agoraphobia (n?=?44), or post-traumatic stress disorder (n?=?59). To examine differences on these cognitive variables, group comparisons were performed controlling for general anxiety, depression and medication status. Social anxiety disorder, compared with panic disorder with agoraphobia and post-traumatic stress disorder, was characterized by lower expectations for positive social events and higher expectations for negative social events. There was no difference among the groups on expectations for non-social positive or negative events. Stable and global attributions for social negative events were more closely associated with social anxiety disorder than with panic disorder with agoraphobia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Correlational analyses also revealed specific relationships among social-cognitive measures and social anxiety, even after controlling for general anxiety and depression. The results are consistent with cognitive models of social anxiety disorder.     

Concurrent validity of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory

The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) is a new instrument designed to assess symptoms of social phobia. Although the scale has been shown to have a good test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity, no studies have examined its concurrent validity with respect to other measures of social anxiety and avoidance. In the present study, the relationship between the SPAI and several self-report measures of social anxiety was examined in a sample of 23 patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for social phobia. The relationship between the SPAI and other measures of psychopathology, as well as performance during a role play test and an impromptu speech, was also examined. The results strongly support the concurrent validity and the specificity of the SPAI. The Social Phobia subscale may be a better index of social anxiety symptoms than the Difference subscale.This research was supported, in part, by NIMH grants MH 38636 and MH 41577 to the second author.     

Cross-Informant Agreement in the Assessment of Social Phobia in Youth

In the present study involving children and adolescents with a principal diagnosis of social phobia, we measured parent–child agreement regarding social anxiety symptoms. Additionally, we examined variables related to the severity of the children's social phobia symptoms as reported by children and as rated by clinicians. Examination of cross-informant agreement indicated little difference between mean parent and children ratings of the children's social fears. In contrast, there was a significant difference in parent and children ratings of the children's avoidance, with parents endorsing greater degrees of social avoidance. Children's report of social avoidance was negatively related to scores on a measure of self-presentational concerns (i.e., social desirability). Clinicians' determination of the severity of the children's social phobia was also influenced by the children's self-presentation as well as parent report of social avoidance and children's depression scores. Thus, this differential weighting by the clinician of parent versus child report may be related to the finding that children's self-reported social avoidance was negatively related to their concerns regarding positive self-presentation. Results suggest the need to consider the impact of social desirability when examining clinical characteristics of children and adolescents with social phobia.     

Short Forms of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale

Mattick and Clarke's (1998) Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and Social Phobia Scale (SPS) are commonly used self-report measures that assess 2 dimensions of social anxiety. Given the need for short, readable measures, this research proposes short forms of both scales. Item-level analyses of readability characteristics of the SIAS and SPS items led to the selection of 6 items from each scale for use in the short forms. The SIAS and SPS short forms had reading levels at approximately the 6th and 5th grade level, respectively. Results using nonclinical (Study 1: N = 469) and clinical (Study 2: N = 145) samples identified these short forms as being factorially sound, possessing adequate internal consistency, and having strong convergence with their full-length counterparts. Moreover, these short forms showed convergence with other measures of social anxiety, showed divergence from measures assessing related constructs, and predicted concurrent interpersonal functioning. Recommendations for the use of these short forms are discussed.     

Short forms of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale

Mattick and Clarke's (1998) Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and Social Phobia Scale (SPS) are commonly used self-report measures that assess 2 dimensions of social anxiety. Given the need for short, readable measures, this research proposes short forms of both scales. Item-level analyses of readability characteristics of the SIAS and SPS items led to the selection of 6 items from each scale for use in the short forms. The SIAS and SPS short forms had reading levels at approximately the 6th and 5th grade level, respectively. Results using nonclinical (Study 1: N = 469) and clinical (Study 2: N = 145) samples identified these short forms as being factorially sound, possessing adequate internal consistency, and having strong convergence with their full-length counterparts. Moreover, these short forms showed convergence with other measures of social anxiety, showed divergence from measures assessing related constructs, and predicted concurrent interpersonal functioning. Recommendations for the use of these short forms are discussed.     

社交焦虑个体外显与内隐自尊的研究

社交恐惧图式理论、社交恐惧模式、和社交恐惧认知行为模式等认知理论,都认为社交恐惧产生于不良的自我图式。为了探讨社交恐惧个体是否具有不良的自我图式,要求40名高社交恐惧个体和30名低社交焦虑个体完成了自尊量表和内隐联想任务。结果发现：高社交恐惧个体在自尊量表上的得分显著低于低社交恐惧个体,但在内隐自尊上,他们都有着积极的自尊,且无显著差异。这一研究结果不支持社交恐惧的认知理论。根据自我呈现理论讨论了研究结果。     

Psychometric Evaluation of the Career Decision Scale With Iranian Undergraduate Students

The authors examined the reliability and construct validity of the Career Decision Scale (Osipow, Carney, & Barak, 1976 ) with 1,610 freshman and sophomore students from public universities from a southwestern state in Iran. A Cronbach's alpha of .80 provided strong support for the scale's reliability. Exploratory factor analysis results indicated a 2‐factor model (Diffusion and Internal/External Barriers) of the scale with Iranian students, which was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. Implications and recommendations for further research are discussed.     

Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children in a Spanish sample

The objectives of the present study were to adapt and analyze the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C; Beidel, Turner, & Morris, 1995) in a Spanish population. The SPAI-C was applied to a sample of 1588 children and adolescents with ages ranging from 10 to 17 years. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed a four-factor structure: Public performance, Assertiveness, Fear and avoidance/escape in social encounters, and Cognitive and psychophysiological interferences. Internal consistency was high (.90) and test-retest reliability was moderate (.56). Significant differences were found in the variables sex and age, although the effect size was small in both variables and their interaction. Overall, the increase of the age value was inversely proportional to that of social anxiety measured with the SPAI-C; in participants of the same age, values were higher for girls than for boys. Results suggest that the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory For Children is a valid and reliable instrument to assess social anxiety in Spanish children and adolescents.     

Social Anxiety Disorder in Childhood and Adolescence: Current Status and Future Directions

This paper reviews the current status of research on the phenomenology, etiology, maintenance, assessment, and treatment of childhood and adolescent social anxiety disorder (SAD). Despite being one of the most prevalent disorders of childhood and adolescence, SAD paradoxically stands as one of the least recognized, researched, and treated pediatric disorders. The small treatment outcome literature provides preliminary support to the effectiveness of various forms of cognitive behavior therapy. The majority of studies to date, however, are limited by inadequate control conditions. Other findings include some support for the utility of parental involvement in treatment, significant advancements in outcome measures (e.g., normative comparisons, indices of naturalistic social functioning), and impressive durability of gains for the majority of treatments. Future directions are suggested, including experimental and naturalistic studies of developmental pathways and maintenance factors, the incorporation of positive psychology constructs (e.g., positive emotions, hope, self-control) in treatment and prevention, and the continued delineation of differences between child, adolescent, and adult manifestations of SAD.     

Discriminant validity of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI), the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS)

Three measures commonly used in assessment of social phobia, the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI [Turner, S. M., Beidel, D. C. & Dancu, C. V. (1996). Social phobia and anxiety inventory: manual. Toronto, Ont.: Multi-Health Systems Inc.), the Social Phobia Scale (SPS [Mattick, R. P. & Clarke, J. C. (1998). Development and validation of measures of social phobia scrutiny fear and social interaction anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 455-470] and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS [Mattick, R. P. & Clarke, J. C. (1998). Development and validation of measures of social phobia scrutiny fear and social interaction anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 455-470], were compared for their ability to discriminate between social phobia and other anxiety disorders (panic disorder with or without agoraphobia). Participants were 117 patients attending a specialized anxiety disorders unit for treatment. While all three measures were able to detect differences between social phobic patients and patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, a logistic regression analysis showed that the SPAI, but not the SPS and SIAS, was a significant predictor of membership of the social phobia group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis also showed that the SPAI was the better measure for discriminating between social phobia and panic disorder with and without agoraphobia. Analysis of the sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive power of the measures at the optimum cutoff scores produced by the ROC analysis are presented.