State Trait Anxiety Inventory
Read each statement and select the appropriate response to indicate how you feel
right now, that is, at this very moment. There are no right or wrong answers. Do not
spend too much time on any one statement but give the answer which seems to
describe your present feelings best.
1 2 3 4
Not at all A little Somewhat Very Much So
1. I feel calm 1 2 3 4
2. I feel secure 1 2 3 4
3. I feel tense 1 2 3 4
4. I feel strained 1 2 3 4
5. I feel at ease 1 2 3 4
6. I feel upset 1 2 3 4
7. I am presently worrying
over possible misfortunes 1 2 3 4
8. I feel satisfied 1 2 3 4
9. I feel frightened 1 2 3 4
10. I feel uncomfortable 1 2 3 4
11. I feel self confident 1 2 3 4
12. I feel nervous 1 2 3 4
13. I feel jittery 1 2 3 4
14. I feel indecisive 1 2 3 4
15. I am relaxed 1 2 3 4
16. I feel content 1 2 3 4
17. I am worried 1 2 3 4
18. I feel confused 1 2 3 4
19. I feel steady 1 2 3 4
20. I feel pleasant 1 2 3 4
References:
Background:
The STAI is a validated 20 item self report assessment device which includes separate
measures of state and trait anxiety. The original STAI form was constructed by Charles
D. Spielberger, Richard L. Gorsuch, and Robert E. Lushene in 1964. The STAI has been
adapted in more than 30 languages for cross-cultural research and clinical practice (Sesti,
2000). Various reliability and validity tests have been conducted on the STAI and have
provided sufficient evidence that the STAI is an appropriate and adequate measure for
studying anxiety in research and clinical settings (Sesti, 2000). McIntrye, McIntyre, and
Silverio (in press) validated the STAI for Portuguese communities. Several items on the
STAI were reversed coded (Items 1, 2, 5, 8, 11, 15, 16, 19, 20).
Recommended for studying anxiety in research and clinical settings.
Developers:
Charles D. Spielberger, Richard L. Gorsuch, and Robert E. Lushene in 1964
Copyright:
Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc.
Reliability:
The stability of the STAI scales was assessed on male and female samples of high school
and college students for test-retest intervals ranging from one hour to 104 days. The
magnitude of the reliability coefficients decreased as a function of interval length. For the
Trait-anxiety scale the coefficients ranged from .65 to .86, whereas the range for the
State-anxiety scale was .16 to .62. This low level of stability for the State-anxiety scale is
expected since responses to the items on this scale are thought to reflect the influence of
whatever transient situational factors exist at the time of testing.
Assessment:
Spielberger, C. D. (1972). Anxiety: Current trends in theory and research: I. New York, N.Y.:
Academic Press.
Spielberger, C. D. (1980). Test Anxiety Inventory. Preliminary professional manual. Palo Alto, CA:
Consulting Psychologists Press.
Spielberger, C. D. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). PaloAlto, CA:
Consulting Psychologists Press.
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