STAI: a test to measure the tendency to anxiety

Evidence Based

Under review

The degree of threat that a circumstance can represent depends on the person, among other variables. However, beyond this, the predisposition to feel anxiety is relatively stable. Thus, in this context, the STAI has a lot to say as a measurement instrument.

Written and verified by the psychologist Elena Sanz.

We live in a globalized and changing society. The social demands that an individual has to face are increasing. Therefore, the increase in the presence of various manifestations of anxiety in the population is not surprising. There are currently a wide variety of instruments to measure this construct, one of the most used is the STAI. (State-Trait Anxiety Questionnaire).

It is one of the first questionnaires validated in Spain to measure anxiety. Besides, It is commonly used by various psychology professionals, both in clinical practice and in research.. The STAI has become a reference in the evaluation of this phenomenon and is usually used to validate other similar instruments.

What does the STAI measure?

Within the multitude of procedures available to evaluate anxiety, the STAI presents a differential quality. It allows obtaining separate measurements of two different aspects: state anxiety and trait anxiety..

State Anxiety

State anxiety is defined as a transient emotional condition, characterized by subjective feelings of tension and apprehension, as well as due to hyperactivity of the autonomic nervous system. It is variable and fluctuates in intensity depending on time and circumstances. It is, therefore, the manifestation of anxiety that occurs at a certain moment as a reaction to a situation.

Trait Anxiety

For its part, trait anxiety is conceptualized as a relatively stable anxious propensity whereby the individual shows a tendency to perceive situations as threatening. It is an acquired behavioral disposition by which, through past experiences, the person becomes predisposed to interpret the world in a certain way and respond to it consistently.

Read Also: When you don't expect anything... everything comes

Despite having different definitions and measurement scales, both concepts are related. Those who have higher Trait Anxiety also tend to have higher State Anxiety scores.. This is because their individual propensity leads them to interpret many more situations as dangerous and, therefore, increase their anxiety in them.

However, The degree to which each individual interprets a particular circumstance as threatening is different, and is closely related to their own experiences. of life. Therefore, obtaining information from both measures separately can be useful in the clinical process.

Application of the STAI

This instrument, Despite being designed for evaluation in adults, it can be used in adolescents in middle and higher education.. The only requirement is that they present the minimum cultural level to understand the instructions and statements. The questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete.

It is in a self-assessment format, so the person is given two separate scales aimed at measuring State Anxiety and Trait Anxiety respectively. The individual must read the statements and select the response option that most closely resembles their personal situation.. To do this, it has a Likert-type scale that goes from 0 (not at all) to 3 (a lot).

To measure State Anxiety, the subject is asked to respond based on how he or she feels at the present moment.. Some of the statements used to evaluate this concept are:

I am worried now about possible future misfortunes. I feel calm. I am tense.

In the case of the Trait Anxietythe person has to select the answer based on how does it feel on most occasions. The statements that you can find in this section are of the style:

Read Also: 6 types of texts for writing lovers

I lose opportunities by not deciding soon. I am happy. Disappointments affect me so much that I do not usually forget them.

Relevance of the STAI as a test to measure anxiety

He STAI It is one of the most useful and effective instruments to measure anxiety. It has been translated into 40 languages and, despite having been available in Spain for more than three decades, remains one of the main tools used by health professionals.

Specifically, it ranks seventh among the most used questionnaires by psychologists in different countries. For all this, we can conclude that The STAI is one of the most valuable and effective questionnaires in both psychology research and practice..