Scale-Description

The Social Phobia Scale (SPS-20) is a psychometric tool designed to assess the fear and anxiety experienced by an individual in social situations, especially when under the scrutiny or judgment of others. The scale consists of 20 questions aimed at measuring the symptoms of social phobia, examining reactions such as:

Fear of evaluation or criticism from others.

Anxiety triggered by social interaction.

Avoidance of specific situations due to social anxiety.

The SPS-20 is widely used in both clinical and research settings to identify and evaluate the severity of social phobia symptoms.

Data Analysis and Usage

The data collected from the SPS-20 are used to understand the levels of social anxiety experienced by an individual. The typical analyses applied to the data include:

Reliability analysis to ensure that the scale consistently measures an individual’s reactions to social situations. The Cronbach’s alpha is usually calculated.

Factor analysis to confirm the structure of the scale and identify the main dimensions of social phobia being measured.

Correlation analysis to explore the relationship between SPS-20 results and other variables, such as depression, generalized anxiety, or quality of life.

The SPS-20 data can be used in clinical assessments to diagnose social phobia and monitor treatment progress, as well as in research programs studying social anxiety.

Purpose

The goal of the Social Phobia Scale (SPS-20) is to assess the intensity and nature of social anxiety experienced by individuals in social situations. This tool can be used to:

Identify individuals who may suffer from social phobia.

Measure the severity of symptoms in clinical settings.

Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and therapeutic programs for addressing social phobia.

Calibration

The calibration of the SPS-20 includes the following stages:

Reliability analysis to ensure the internal consistency of responses across the entire scale.

Confirmatory factor analysis to validate the structure of the scale and the accuracy of its dimensions.

Cross-validation in various populations to ensure the validity and generalizability of the scale.

Bibliography

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(4), 455-470.

Heimberg, R. G., Mueller, G. P., Holt, C. S., Hope, D. A., & Liebowitz, M. R. (1992). Assessment of anxiety in social interaction and being observed by others: The Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale. Behavior Therapy, 23(1), 53-73.

Clark, D. M., & Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In R. G. Heimberg, M. R. Liebowitz, D. A. Hope, & F. R. Schneier (Eds.), Social phobia: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment (pp. 69-93). Guilford Press.