Social Phobia Scale (SPS-20)

The Social Phobia Scale (SPS-20) is a self-report psychological assessment designed to measure anxiety and fear related to being observed, judged, or scrutinized by other people during everyday social situations. The scale evaluates fears associated with public attention, social performance, embarrassment, self-consciousness, and visible anxiety symptoms.

The SPS-20 was developed to assess symptoms commonly associated with social anxiety and social phobia, particularly fears of being watched or negatively evaluated during routine activities such as speaking, eating, writing, or interacting in public settings. Higher scores may indicate stronger social anxiety, increased self-consciousness, fear of embarrassment, and discomfort in social or performance situations.

Read each statement carefully and select the response that best describes how much the situation affects you. There are no right or wrong answers. Respond honestly for the most accurate and meaningful results.

This assessment is intended for educational, research, and self-reflection purposes only. It is not designed to provide a formal clinical diagnosis. Results should be interpreted cautiously and within the broader context of emotional, psychological, and social functioning.

The SPS-20 is scored using a 5-point scale (0 = Not at all to 4 = Extremely). Total raw scores are calculated by summing all responses, with the total score ranging from 0 to 80. Higher scores represent a greater severity of social phobia and scrutiny-related anxiety. Scores are distributed across six distinct sub-scales (Performance Anxiety, Public Self-Consciousness, Fear of Observation, Visible Anxiety Symptoms, Fear of Negative Evaluation, and Fear of Attention), which are standardized to a 0–100 scale for comparative profiling.

I become anxious if I have to write in front of other people.

I become self-conscious when using public toilets.

I can suddenly become aware of my own voice and of others listening to me.

I get nervous that people are staring at me as I walk down the street.

I fear I may blush when I am with others.

I feel self-conscious if I have to enter a room where others are already seated.

I worry about shaking or trembling when I am watched by other people.

I would get tense if I had to sit facing other people on a bus or a train.

I get panicky that others might see me as faint, sick, or ill.

I would find it difficult to drink something while in a group of people.

It would make me feel self-conscious to eat in front of a stranger at a restaurant.

I am worried people will think my behavior is odd.

I would get tense if I had to carry a tray across a crowded cafeteria.

I worry I will lose control of myself in front of other people.

I worry I might do something that attracts the attention of others.

When in an elevator, I am tense if people look at me.

I can feel conspicuous standing in a queue.

I get tense when I speak in front of other people.

I worry my head will shake or nod in front of others.

I feel awkward and tense if I know people are watching me.