Social Phobia (Scrutiny Fear) Scale (SPS)

Abstract

The Social Phobia (Scrutiny Fear) Scale (SPS) is a specialized self-report instrument designed to measure anxiety specifically related to being observed or scrutinized by others in non-interactive social situations. Developed by Mattick and Clarke (1998), the SPS aims to distinguish this specific component of social anxiety disorder from fears related to social interaction, which are measured by its companion scale, the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS). The SPS is a crucial tool for researchers and clinicians seeking to understand the specific phenotypic expression of social anxiety, focusing on fears such as eating, drinking, writing, or walking while being watched, where performance or visible symptoms are the primary concern.

Keywords

Social Phobia Scale, SPS, Social Anxiety Disorder, Scrutiny Fear, Fear of Observation, Social Evaluation, Psychometric Assessment, Self-Report.

Authors

Richard P. Mattick, Janice C. Clarke

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Social Phobia (Scrutiny Fear) Scale (SPS) is to provide a reliable and valid measure of anxiety experienced in social situations where the individual is the focus of others’ attention, specifically due to the fear of visible signs of anxiety or incompetence. This instrument was developed in response to the need for measures that could differentiate between two distinct facets of social anxiety: fear of being observed (scrutiny fear, measured by SPS) and fear of engaging in conversation or interaction (measured by the SIAS).

By isolating scrutiny fear, the SPS allows for a more granular assessment of symptom presentation, which is vital for tailoring cognitive-behavioral interventions. High scores on the SPS indicate significant distress related to performing routine activities in public settings, such as signing a cheque or eating in a restaurant, due to the perceived negative evaluation from onlookers.

Construct

The SPS measures the psychological construct of Scrutiny Fear, which is defined as the fear of being negatively evaluated, judged, or humiliated while performing an activity in public. This construct is central to the performance-only subtype of social anxiety disorder. The scale specifically targets concerns related to:

• Visible anxiety symptoms (shaking, blushing, trembling).
• Performing motor tasks (writing, eating, drinking) under observation.
• General visibility in public spaces (walking, standing in queues).
• Fear of attracting unwanted attention or being judged as odd or ill.

The scale thus taps into the performance component of social anxiety, which is highly distinct from the interactional component. The items reflect common situations where individuals feel exposed and fear that their internal anxiety symptoms will become externally visible and lead to social rejection or embarrassment.

Validity

The SPS has demonstrated strong Psychometric Properties, particularly in establishing its construct and discriminant validity. The original 1998 validation study by Mattick and Clarke, as well as subsequent research, confirmed that the SPS is highly correlated with other measures of social anxiety and fear of negative evaluation (convergent validity). Crucially, the SPS exhibits excellent discriminant validity from the SIAS, indicating that the scales measure two distinct, though related, factors of social phobia.

Research has consistently shown that the SPS effectively discriminates between individuals diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and non-anxious control groups. Furthermore, studies examining short forms of the SPS and SIAS continue to support the two-factor model of social anxiety assessment, validating the SPS’s role as a measure of non-interactive performance fears.

Reliability

The reliability of the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) is consistently reported as high across various clinical and non-clinical populations. Internal consistency, typically measured using Cronbach’s alpha, generally falls in the acceptable to excellent range (often α > .90). This suggests that the 20 items within the SPS are highly intercorrelated and reliably measure the single underlying construct of scrutiny fear.

Test-retest reliability has also been established, demonstrating the stability of the measure over time, which is important for tracking symptom severity during treatment. The high reliability confirms the coherence and precision of the SPS as a tool for assessing the severity of performance-related social fears.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis of the SPS typically supports a unidimensional structure when analyzed independently, confirming that all 20 items load onto a single factor representing scrutiny fear or fear of being observed/judged while performing an activity.

When the SPS is factor-analyzed alongside its companion scale, the SIAS, the results strongly support a two-factor model of social anxiety. This model posits that social anxiety is comprised of two distinct yet correlated factors: the Scrutiny Fear factor (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety factor (SIAS). This empirical separation validates the original intent of the authors to measure these constructs independently, providing a more detailed profile of an individual’s social anxiety symptoms.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire

Format: 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert Scale

Language Available: Primarily English, but validated translations exist in several other languages.

Population Group: Clinical and non-clinical populations, particularly those experiencing symptoms of social anxiety disorder.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults

Population Details: Used extensively in psychiatric, psychological, and behavioral research settings to assess the severity and specific subtype of social phobia.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the extent to which each statement is characteristic or true of them, using the following scale:

• 0 = not at all characteristic or true of me
• 1 = slightly characteristic or true of me
• 2 = moderately characteristic or true of me
• 3 = very characteristic or true of me
• 4 = extremely characteristic or true of me

Keywords

Social Anxiety, Self-Consciousness, Performance Anxiety, Social Assessment, Likert Scale, Psychological Measurement, Diagnostic Tool.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not publicly provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not publicly provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Not publicly provided in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Social Phobia Scale (SPS) was formally developed and validated in 1998, building upon earlier unpublished work from 1989. As a widely used academic instrument, it is often utilized without specific fees for non-commercial research purposes, though researchers should always consult the original authors or the journal Behaviour Research and Therapy for definitive permission guidelines, especially for clinical or commercial use.

The instrument is publicly available in several academic resources. The original PDF for the instrument can be downloaded here: http://www.goodmedicine.org.uk/sites/default/files/social%20anxiety%2C%20assessment%20sps.pdf.

Another source referencing the instrument is available here: http://scitechconnect.elsevier.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Baboons-Chapter.pdf.

Reference’s

The following references are key publications related to the development, validation, and application of the Social Phobia (Scrutiny Fear) Scale (SPS):

• Blanc, Allura L. Le, Bruce, Laura C., Heimberg, Richard G., Hope, Debra A., Blanco, Carlos, Schneier, Franklin R., Liebowitz, Michael R. (2014). Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of Two Short Forms of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale. Assessment. 21 (3): 312–323.
• Brown, Elissa J., Turovsky, Julia., Heimberg, Richard G. et al. (1997). Validation of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale across the anxiety disorders. Psychological Assessment 9(1):21-27.
• Fergus, Thomas A., Valentiner, David P., McGrath, Patrick B., Gier-Lonsway, Stephanie L., Kim, Hyun-Soo (2012). Short Forms of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment. 94 (3): 310–320.
• Leary, Mark R., Jongman-Sereno, Katrina P., and Diebels, Kate J. (2015). Measures of Concerns with Public Image and Social Evaluation. in Gregory Boyle, Donald H. Saklofske and Gerald Matthews., Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Constructs. Elsevier, Pages 448–473.
• Mattick, R. P., & Clarke, J. C. (1989). Development and validation of measures of social phobia scrutiny fear and social interaction anxiety. Unpublished manuscript.
• Mattick, R. P., Peters, L., & Clarke, J. C. (1989). Exposure and cognitive restructuring for social phobia: A controlled study. Behavior Therapy, 20, 3-23.
• 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.
• Osman, Augustine; Gutierrez, Peter M., Barrios, Francisco X., Kopper, Beverly A., Chiros, Christine E. (1998). Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. 20 (3): 249–264.
• Peters, Lorna. (2000). Discriminant validity of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI), the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS). Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38(9): 943–950.

Items of the Social Phobia (Scrutiny Fear) Scale (SPS)

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

1. I become anxious if I have to write in front of other people
2. I become self-conscious when using public toilets
3. I can suddenly become aware of my own voice & of others listening to me
4. I get nervous that people are staring at me as I walk down the street
5. I fear I may blush when I am with others.
6. I feel self-conscious if I have to enter a room where others are already seated.
7. I worry about shaking or trembling when I’m watched by other people.
8. I would get tense if I had to sit facing other people on a bus or a train.
9. I get panicky that others might see me to be faint, sick or ill.
10. I would find it difficult to drink something if in a group of people.
11. It would make me feel self-conscious to eat in front of a stranger at a restaurant.
12. I am worried people will think my behavior odd.
13. I would get tense if I had to carry a tray across a crowded cafeteria.
14. I worry I’ll lose control of myself in front of other people.
15. I worry I might do something to attract the attention of others.
16. When in an elevator I am tense if people look at me.
17. I can feel conspicuous standing in a queue.
18. I get tense when I speak in front of other people.
19. I worry my head will shake or nod in front of others.
20. I feel awkward and tense if I know people are watching me.