The Social Thoughts and Beliefs Scale: Psychometric Properties and its Relation with Interpersonal Functioning in a Non-Clinical Sample

Abstract

Cognitive theorists maintain that maladaptive cognitions play an important role in the formation and maintenance of social anxiety disorder. The Social Thoughts and Beliefs Scale (STABS; Turner et al. Psychol Assessment 15:384–391, 2003) was developed to assess the broad domain of cognitions associated with social anxiety in a clinical sample. The present study with 469 college students examined the applicability of the STABS with a non-clinical sample and its relation with social anxiety symptoms and indices of interpersonal functioning. The STABS scales showed good reliability (internal consistency), adequate convergent and discriminant validity, and acceptable concurrent and incremental concurrent validity in predicting social interaction anxiety or outcomes of interpersonal functioning. The STABS appears to have good psychometric properties measuring two dimensions, assessing thoughts of social comparisons and thoughts of social ineptness, and appears to be appropriate for use with non-clinical samples.