SOCIAL PHOBIA AND ANXIETY INVENTORY FOR CHILDREN (SPAI-C)

Below is a sample of a questionnaire used to evaluate the degree of social anxiety in children. The original SPAI-C consists of 26 questions that focus on social phobia and social anxiety. The following, however, is a shorter version that focuses solely on social anxiety.

INSTRUCTIONS

Please indicate how nervous or scared you feel in the various situations listed below. Use the following scale for your answers:

1 = Never or Hardly Ever

2 = Sometimes

3 = Most of the Time or Always

TEST

1. Scared when joining a large group
2. Scared when becoming the center of attention
3. Scared when I have to do something while others watch me
4. Scared when speaking or reading in front of a group
5. Scared when answering questions in class or at group meetings
6. Scared when speaking in front of class
7. Scared when in a school play, choir, music, or dance recital

SCORING:

Scores above 18 indicate high levels of social anxiety.

NOTE: PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, IT IS NOT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A DIAGNOSIS.

Reference:

Beidel CD, Turner SM & Fink CM (1996). Assessment of childhood social phobia: construct, convergent, and discriminative validity of Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C). Psychology Assessment, 8: 235-240.