Description

The Other As Shamer Scale (OAS-18) is a self-report psychometric instrument developed to assess external shame, referring to an individual’s perception that other people view, judge, or evaluate them negatively.

The scale was developed by Goss, Gilbert, and Allan (1994) and was based on earlier approaches to the assessment of shame, particularly the Internalized Shame Scale (ISS) developed by Cook.

Rather than focusing exclusively on how individuals evaluate themselves, the OAS-18 examines how they believe they are perceived by others. It therefore provides a structured assessment of perceived negative social evaluation and represents an important instrument for studying the interpersonal dimension of shame.

Objective

The primary objective of the OAS-18 is to assess individuals’ beliefs about how other people see and judge them.

Through its 18 items, the scale explores general negative perceptions concerning how the self is viewed by others. It can therefore provide valuable information about the extent to which individuals feel that they are regarded as inferior, inadequate, empty, flawed, or negatively evaluated within their social environment.

The OAS-18 is particularly useful in research examining external shame and its relationships with psychological, emotional, interpersonal, and social variables.

Structure of the Scale

The OAS-18 consists of 18 items derived through modification of items from the Internalized Shame Scale.

The original structure described in the source material includes three dimensions:

Inferiority: assesses the extent to which individuals believe that others perceive them as inferior or inadequate.

Emptiness: reflects perceptions that others see the individual as empty or lacking important personal qualities.

Others’ reactions to mistakes: examines how individuals believe other people respond to their mistakes, failures, or perceived shortcomings.

Together, these dimensions provide a broader representation of the individual’s experience of external shame and perceived negative social evaluation.

Response Format

Participants respond to each of the 18 items using a five-point Likert-type scale, ranging from:

0 = Never
to
4 = Always

Higher item scores indicate a greater frequency or intensity of the corresponding perception of negative evaluation by others.

Scoring

The total OAS-18 score is calculated by summing the scores of all 18 items.

The overall score ranges from:

0 to 72 points.

Higher total scores indicate greater levels of external shame, reflecting a stronger tendency to perceive that others view or judge the individual negatively.

Lower scores indicate comparatively lower levels of perceived negative social evaluation.

Scores should be interpreted according to the characteristics of the population being assessed and the psychometric evidence available for the relevant version of the instrument.

Data Analysis and Use

Data obtained from the OAS-18 can be analyzed at both the total-score and, where supported by the relevant validation framework, subscale levels.

Descriptive statistics such as the mean, standard deviation, median, and range can be used to summarize participants’ scores.

Internal consistency can be examined using appropriate reliability coefficients, while the dimensional structure of the instrument may be investigated through exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis.

Depending on the research design, OAS-18 scores may also be compared across demographic or clinical groups or examined in relation to other psychological and psychosocial variables using correlation, regression, or other appropriate statistical procedures.

Interpretation

Higher OAS-18 scores indicate stronger perceptions of external shame and negative social evaluation. Individuals with elevated scores are more likely to believe that others see them as inadequate, inferior, flawed, or negatively evaluated.

Lower scores suggest a weaker tendency to perceive oneself as the target of negative judgment from others.

The OAS-18 should not be interpreted as a stand-alone diagnostic instrument. Results should be considered within the broader psychological, interpersonal, social, and cultural context of the individual and, when appropriate, alongside findings from other validated measures.

Validity and Reliability

The OAS-18 has been used in research investigating shame and related psychological processes, and its psychometric properties have been examined in different contexts.

According to the source material, the scale has also been translated and adapted for use in a Greek population through a back-translation procedure.

The Greek version demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency, with a reported Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.87, supporting the reliability of the instrument for assessing external shame in the corresponding population.

Applications

The OAS-18 can be used in psychological, psychosocial, and behavioural research where the assessment of external shame and perceived social judgment is relevant.

Potential applications include examining relationships between external shame and other psychological constructs, comparing levels of shame across different groups, investigating interpersonal and social processes, and evaluating changes in external shame across different assessment periods.

The scale may also contribute to a broader understanding of how perceived negative evaluation by others relates to individuals’ emotional experiences and interpersonal functioning.

Limitations

As a self-report instrument, the OAS-18 reflects the individual’s subjective perceptions and may therefore be influenced by response tendencies, social desirability, current emotional state, and interpretation of individual items.

The scale measures perceived evaluation by others rather than directly assessing how other people actually perceive the individual.

For this reason, OAS-18 results should preferably be interpreted alongside other relevant psychological, clinical, or research information when a comprehensive assessment is required.

Greek Adaptation

The OAS-18 has been adapted for use with Greek-speaking populations. The Greek adaptation reported in the source material is associated with Gouva, Paschou, Kaltsouda, Dragioti, Paralikas, Mantzoukas, and Kotrotsiou.

The available psychometric evidence reported for the Greek version supports satisfactory reliability and its potential use in research investigating external shame within Greek-speaking populations.

References

Goss, K., Gilbert, P., & Allan, S. (1994). An exploration of shame measures—I: The Other As Shamer Scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 17(5), 713–717.

Greek adaptation: Gouva, M., Paschou, A., Kaltsouda, A., Dragioti, E., Paralikas, T., Mantzoukas, S., & Kotrotsiou, E.