social attitudes questionnaire

Abstract

The Social Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) is an extensive 50-item self-report measure designed to assess the presence and severity of specific negative attitudes and beliefs commonly observed in individuals suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), historically known as Social Phobia. The instrument evaluates underlying cognitive themes such as fear of negative evaluation, perceived inferiority, vulnerability, and the necessity of achieving high social performance standards. Respondents rate their level of agreement or disagreement with each statement on a detailed Likert-type scale, providing quantitative data on the cognitive mechanisms hypothesized to maintain social anxiety.

Keywords

Social Attitudes, Social Anxiety Disorder, Cognitive Model, Fear of Negative Evaluation, Self-Beliefs, Social Phobia, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychological Assessment.

Authors

David M. Clark (Adapted from workshop material).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Social Attitudes Questionnaire is to quantitatively identify the specific maladaptive beliefs and assumptions held by individuals experiencing social anxiety. In the context of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), these attitudes represent key targets for cognitive restructuring. By measuring the intensity of agreement with these statements, clinicians can tailor treatment plans to address core cognitive distortions related to self-worth, performance demands, and perceived social flaws.

The comprehensive nature of the 50 items allows for a detailed profile of the respondent’s internal social dialogue. The questionnaire is typically used both at intake for diagnostic planning and throughout treatment to monitor changes in underlying cognitive structures as therapy progresses.

Construct

The SAQ measures constructs central to the cognitive model of social anxiety, particularly the highly critical self-referent beliefs that drive anxious behavior. These constructs include the strong need for social approval, the belief that one’s anxiety is highly visible and severely judged by others (known as the “spotlight effect”), and the catastrophic interpretation of minor social errors.

Key cognitive constructs assessed include: Perceived Inferiority (e.g., “I’m inferior”), Conditional Acceptance Beliefs (e.g., “I have to do things right to be accepted”), and Fear of Anxiety Visibility (e.g., “my anxiety is obvious to other people”). The scale captures the pervasive and rigid nature of these dysfunctional beliefs, which perpetuate the cycle of anxiety.

Validity

While the exact psychometric properties of this specific 50-item workshop version (as presented in the source) are not detailed, instruments developed or utilized within the Clark & Wells framework generally demonstrate robust validity. Content validity is high, as the items directly reflect the specific negative automatic thoughts and underlying assumptions identified in clinical presentations of SAD.

In research contexts, similar scales (often developed by associated researchers) show strong discriminant validity, differentiating individuals with social anxiety from healthy controls and those with other anxiety disorders. Criterion validity is typically established through correlations with established measures of social anxiety severity and Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE).

Reliability

Based on the structure and clinical application, the Social Attitudes Questionnaire is expected to exhibit high internal consistency, given the intercorrelation of items measuring a unified cognitive theme (maladaptive social beliefs). High Cronbach’s alpha values are characteristic of well-developed attitude scales in this domain.

Test-retest reliability is crucial for instruments used to track treatment progress. Scales measuring stable cognitive traits like core social attitudes are generally expected to show moderate to high temporal stability over short periods in untreated samples, while being sensitive enough to reflect therapeutic change.

Factor Analysis

Although no specific factor analysis data is provided in the source material, a review of the 50 items suggests that the scale likely yields multiple factors or subscales reflecting distinct domains of negative social cognition. Potential factors include:

• Performance Anxiety/Perfectionism: Beliefs centered on the necessity of appearing intelligent, witty, or performing flawlessly to gain acceptance.
• Self-Perceived Defectiveness: Core beliefs about being inherently unlikeable, inferior, or weird.
• Catastrophic Fear of Rejection: Beliefs that social mistakes will inevitably lead to humiliation, ridicule, or rejection.
• Belief in Visibility of Anxiety: The conviction that internal anxiety symptoms are visibly obvious to others, leading to negative judgment.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire, Cognitive Assessment Tool.

Format: 50 items, utilizing a 7-point Likert scale ranging from “Totally Agree” to “Totally Disagree.”

Language Available: English (Original).

Population Group: Clinical and non-clinical populations experiencing social anxiety or specific social performance fears.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults.

Population Details: Primarily utilized in the assessment and treatment planning for individuals diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their agreement with various statements describing social attitudes and beliefs. Scoring involves summing or averaging item responses, with some items requiring reverse scoring, resulting in a total score reflecting the severity of maladaptive social cognitions.

Keywords

Social cognition, clinical psychology, self-consciousness, performance beliefs, negative self-evaluation, cognitive restructuring, psychometric assessment, dysfunctional beliefs.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in source.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The specific version of the Social Attitudes Questionnaire presented here was adapted from material prepared by David M. Clark for a BAbcp Pre-Conference Workshop on Social Phobia in London. Permissions for clinical or research use should typically be directed to the author or associated clinical research groups.

Test Year: The documented public presentation of this specific adaptation was 2013. Fees for clinical use are generally determined by the institution or practice utilizing the tool.

Reference’s

Clark DM. Workshop on social phobia. BAbcp Pre-Conference Workshop; 2013 July 16; London.

The original PDF (and Word document) assessment form was noted in the source documentation. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.goodmedicine.org.uk/stressedtozest/2013/09/assessment-monitoring-questionnaires-cbt-treatment-social-anxiety-disorder

Items of the social attitudes questionnaire

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.