Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN)
Social Anxiety Self-Assessment
Table of Contents
Introduction: What is the SPIN?
The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) test is a clinically validated self-assessment tool designed to measure the severity of social anxiety disorder symptoms. Social anxiety can affect daily life by causing fear, avoidance, and physical symptoms in social situations.
Unlike some assessments that only measure general anxiety, the SPIN test evaluates three key components of social anxiety:
✔ Fear & Anxiety in Social Situations – Measures distress in situations like public speaking, meeting new people, and being observed.
✔ Avoidance Behaviors – Assesses how often social interactions are avoided due to fear of embarrassment or judgment.
✔ Physical Symptoms – Evaluates bodily responses like blushing, sweating, or trembling in social settings.
Why Use the SPIN Test?
✔ Quick & effective – Takes only a few minutes to complete.
✔ Clinically validated – Used in research and therapy worldwide.
✔ Accessible & free – No cost or special permission required to take the test.
This test provides insight into social anxiety severity, but it is not a diagnostic tool.
👉 Take the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) test below to assess your symptoms.
How the SPIN Works (Scoring & Interpretation)
The SPIN consists of 17 questions, each rated on a scale from 0 (Not at all) to 4 (Extremely). Your total score helps determine social anxiety severity:
✔ 0–20: Minimal or no social anxiety.
✔ 21–30: Mild social anxiety.
✔ 31–40: Moderate social anxiety.
✔ 41–50: Severe social anxiety (significant interference in daily life).
✔ 51–68: Very severe social anxiety (may require professional intervention).
What Does Your Score Mean?
A score of 19 or higher is considered clinically significant and may indicate social anxiety disorder requiring further evaluation.
Scores above 40 suggest severe social anxiety, with intense avoidance and distress in social situations.
💡 Think of it like a confidence meter: A low score suggests minimal social anxiety, while higher scores indicate increasing avoidance and distress in social settings.
SPIN Anxiety Self-Assessment Form
How Reliable & Valid is the SPIN?
The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) scoring system has been extensively studied and validated for measuring social anxiety disorder severity.
Reliability (Does it produce consistent results?)
- The SPIN test provides stable and repeatable scores, making it reliable for tracking social anxiety over time.
- It has been tested in clinical and research settings with strong consistency.
Validity (Does it measure what it claims to?)
- The SPIN is highly correlated with social anxiety disorder diagnoses, meaning it accurately identifies individuals with and without social anxiety.
- It does not simply measure general anxiety or depression—it specifically targets social fear, avoidance, and physiological symptoms.
- The SPIN scoring system is sensitive to change, meaning scores typically decrease as symptoms improve with therapy or treatment.
💡 Think of it like a social confidence check-up: Just as a vision test helps assess eyesight, the SPIN test helps evaluate how social anxiety may be affecting daily interactions.
Next Steps: What to Do with Your Results?
If your SPIN score is 19 or higher, it may indicate clinically significant social anxiety, meaning professional support could be beneficial.
Your Options Moving Forward:
✔ If your score is below 20, social discomfort is normal, but confidence-building strategies may help in certain situations.
✔ If your score is 21–30 (mild symptoms), self-help strategies or therapy could help improve social confidence.
✔ If your score is 31 or higher, working with a social anxiety specialist may help develop strategies to reduce fear and avoidance.
Explore More Anxiety Self-Assessments
✔ GAD-7 Anxiety Test – Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screening
✔ PDSS Panic Disorder Test – Panic Disorder Severity Scale
✔ SPIN Social Anxiety Test – Social Phobia Inventory
✔ OCI-R OCD Test – Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory
✔ SMSP-A Phobia Test – Severity Measure for Specific Phobia – Adult
✔ SHAI Health Anxiety Test – Short Health Anxiety Inventory
✔ PSWQ Anxiety Test – Penn State Worry Questionnaire
References
Connor KM, Davidson JR, Churchill LE, et al. (2000). Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN): New self-rating scale. British Journal of Psychiatry, 176(4), 379–386. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.176.4.379
- Summary: This foundational study introduces the SPIN as a self-rated scale for assessing social phobia. The research demonstrates the inventory’s solid psychometric properties, including good test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and convergent and divergent validity. A SPIN score of 19 was identified as a threshold distinguishing individuals with social phobia from control subjects.
Antony MM, Coons MJ, McCabe RE, et al. (2006). Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory: further evaluation. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(8), 1177–1185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.08.013
- Summary: This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the SPIN’s psychometric properties. The findings confirm the inventory’s reliability and validity in measuring social anxiety disorder, supporting its use in both clinical and research settings.
Campbell-Sills L, Espejo E, Ayers CR, Roy-Byrne P, Stein MB. (2015). Latent dimensions of social anxiety disorder: A re-evaluation of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 36, 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2015.09.007
- Summary: This study re-examines the factor structure of the SPIN using data from primary care patients diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. The findings support a three-factor model comprising Fear of Negative Evaluation, Fear of Physical Symptoms, and Fear of Uncertainty in Social Situations. These factors collectively load onto a higher-order factor representing social anxiety, aligning with theories that emphasize fear of negative evaluation as central to the disorder.
Radomsky AS, Ashbaugh AR, Saxe ML, Ouimet AJ, Golden ER, Lavoie SL, O’Connor KP. (2006). Psychometric properties of the French and English versions of the Social Phobia Inventory. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 38(4), 354–360. https://doi.org/10.1037/cjbs2006021
- Summary: This study evaluated the reliability and validity of both the French and English versions of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) in non-clinical university student samples. The findings demonstrated excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability for the SPIN total score in both languages. The study supports the use of the SPIN as a reliable self-report measure for assessing social anxiety symptoms across English and French-speaking populations.
Carleton RN, Collimore KC, Asmundson GJG. (2007). Social anxiety and fear of negative evaluation: Construct validity of the BFNE-II. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 21(1), 131–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.03.010
- Summary: This study examined the reliability and validity of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale – Revised (BFNE-II) in a community sample. The findings supported a unitary model for the BFNE-II, demonstrating excellent internal consistency and good convergent and discriminant validity. The BFNE-II was found to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing fear of negative evaluation, a core component of social anxiety disorder.
