Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN)
Also known as: SPIN
The Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) is a 17-item self-report measure of social anxiety disorder symptoms. Developed by Connor, Davidson, and colleagues in 2000, the SPIN assesses fear, avoidance, and physiological symptoms related to social anxiety. It is widely used for screening and monitoring social anxiety disorder in clinical and research settings.
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When to use it
The SPIN is ideal for screening social anxiety disorder in mental health clinics, primary care, and occupational health. It is valuable for monitoring treatment response during cognitive-behavioral therapy or pharmacotherapy. The instrument is less suitable as a diagnostic tool alone but excels at identifying probable cases and tracking symptom severity.
Strengths & limitations
- Efficient 17-item format assesses the three key dimensions of social anxiety (fear, avoidance, physiological symptoms)
- Strong psychometric properties with high internal consistency and test-retest reliability
- Good sensitivity and specificity for identifying probable social anxiety disorder
- Sensitive to treatment effects in cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy trials
- Measures social anxiety symptoms but does not provide diagnosis; clinical assessment required
- Self-report bias: individuals may minimize social anxiety due to shame or exaggerate due to current distress
- Some items conflate fear with avoidance, which are distinguishable constructs
Frequently asked
What do the three SPIN subscales measure?
Fear: anticipatory anxiety about social situations. Avoidance: active avoidance of social and performance situations. Physiological: physical symptoms of anxiety (tremor, sweating, palpitations). Subscale profiles reveal the predominant dimension of social anxiety.
What SPIN score indicates probable social anxiety disorder?
SPIN total scores of 19 or above suggest probable social anxiety disorder. Moderate anxiety typically presents with scores 20–39; severe anxiety with scores 40+. However, clinical assessment is required for diagnosis.
How sensitive is SPIN to cognitive-behavioral therapy effects?
SPIN is highly sensitive to CBT effects. A reduction of 8–12 points typically indicates clinically meaningful improvement. The Avoidance subscale may show faster improvement than Fear with some cognitive-behavioral interventions.
Can the SPIN distinguish social anxiety disorder from generalized social anxiety or shyness?
SPIN measures social anxiety symptom severity but does not explicitly distinguish between social anxiety disorder (clinical level) and normal social anxiety or shyness. Functional impairment and symptom duration (DSM-5 diagnostic criteria) must be assessed clinically.
Sources
- Connor, K. M., Davidson, J. R., Churchill, L. E., Sherwood, A., Foa, E., & Weisler, R. H. (2000). Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN): A new self-rating scale. British Journal of Psychiatry, 176, 379-386. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.176.4.379 ↗
- Antony, M. M., Coons, M. J., McCabe, R. E., Ashbaugh, A. R., & Swinson, R. P. (2006). Psychometric properties of the Social Phobia Inventory: Further evaluation in two community samples. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 20(8), 1039-1055. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2005.08.013 ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 3). Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/clinical-psychology/spin-social-phobia
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