ie ara of Cel Prag (99, 3, 5-306 Pri i Brita am 1 1962 Te Bh Preeti Sciy The develupment of a six-item short-form of the state scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) ‘Theresa M. Marteau* and Hilary Bekker Hath Peli Unie, Real Fre Hata Sel of Madi, Loe NW? 206, UK ‘Two muds ae reported deeiing the deep of a short Som of te see see of the Speberger Sate Trae Asse? Inventory (STAI) fr we ‘Simuincer, hee te fel-form is inapproprie Using. eon remainder orrltions, the most highly corel ansy pcent and anes es ‘See combined, sd cated wich scorer otincd sing th flform of the STAL Commision sotisints gteatr than 90 ere stan ang fo a st ies fom the STAL Acerpaberelabiley and aly were obtain st Ie, The us of he sam hort foe proved sos sna ote ob) ‘Sing she fllfoun, This wat so for screl groupe of mbes ane eage ‘of anit levels Tis short fom of he STAI heeore civ to estas in tare airy When computed ith the full orm ofthe STAI, the aie ‘eesion ofr a beer and jam ceptable ale for abt wile mating vel she ate comparable ‘how bab aig the fa form of ie SEAL ‘The Spielberger State~Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) is one ofthe most frequenty used measures of anxiety in applied psychology research, [tsa reliable and sensitive ‘measure of anxiety. Tts popularity has meaat that researchers are able to compare thei results with those of others, a usefel but rare occurrence in such research. The fone drawback, however, with the STAT isis lengeh, being 40 items long, This isa Dersir to iss use in studies where time for completing questionnaires i hmited. Is also a barrier for some populations who are unable or unprepared to complete lengthy scales with seemingly repetitive items. These problems could be largely ‘overcome by the development of 2 standardized short-form of the STAI "The STAI consists of two questionnaires of 20 items exch, The frst questionnaice measures state anxiety (how one feels atthe moment), the second, trait anxiety (how ‘one generally feels). There are two STAI questionnaires: one produced in 1970 (Form X), the other in 1983 (Form Y), As yet there is no standardized short-form ff the STAI. Some researchers (Foa, McNally & Murdock, 1989; McNally, Fon & Donnell, 1989; Smith, Ingram & Brehm, 1983) have used 10-item STAL The 10 items selected are alternate anxiety-present and anxiety-absent items from the fll form of the STAL. Where time isa consideration, Spiclberger recommends using the AOsitem anxiety seore of the State~Traic Personality Inventory (STPI, 1979). None of thete shoztened forms of the STAI has been standardired302 ‘Thersta M. Marte ond Hilary Bohor "The aim of the two studies reported here isto develop a short-form of the state measure of the STAI for ue in settings where time constraints preclude the use of the Fall form, STUDY 1: ITEM SELECTION “The purpose ofthis study isco select the smallest suber of both anxiery-present and aaiety-absent items from the full-form oF the STAL which is highly correlated (ie. > 90) with scores obtained sing the fllform of the STAT Spieiberger (1983) states that equal numbees of anxiety-preteat and anxiety-absent items constitute a ‘more stable and consistent measure Method Siete “The mpl compe 200 pregnant momen, fom whom compleed STALL had ben obto! a pct (Gt mother sndy (Maren, Jotanom Rid, Miche, Coo, Sack & Saw, 182). Procedure “The qucoonals were compe while omen sete wating fora roxtne ost patent appolnsmene Sor on nc em bere cord with scorer oe soln 9 ea ofthe STAT (leaner ‘ctl, to meth ction ofeach tr ote oneal esi score Results “The items were ranked in order of magzitude of thet item-temainder correlations (Gce Table 1). Equal aumbers of ansiey-peesent and anxiery-chsent items were thea ‘sed to form twe-, four. ie, eight. and te-item forms ofthe STAI. The coreeations between scores from thee short-form and the fll length STAI were: r= .96for the 10 items; r= .96 for the eighe items; r =_95 for the six items; r= .91 for the four items} and r= 84 for the exo items. "Table 1 Item-remainder correlations: Pearson correlation coeficients berween each item and the total ofthe semaining item of the STAI Teneo AdseivertemaoAdectve 1 ae 7 i wlbconiden 5D 2 ene twee e 3 in 3 fue * ee ee oe) 5 mene nr mn 6 par 3 t6 Cotme o 5 Bornes Sd Se 3 Sed 2 t8 Orenencted «3 5 Snows 9 yi o 10 Somorable 5828p 6 "Now, las depict he tes bighe ans prea end ane aboene hemeSiscitem short-form of sate sale of STAL 303 Discussion Correlations between subsets of four and six items of the STAI were greater than 1 .90. Whether either isan acceptable short form ofthe STAT will depend upon the eatent to sthich they are reliable and alld ia counts wil the fall fora of the STAI. STUDY 2: RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY ‘The aim of this study isto determine the reliability an validity of the four-and six- ‘tem shore-forms ofthe STAI a a bass For choosing the optimal shore £oren, testa scliabilty was assessed. Test-retest reliability was not ilolated for, as Spielberger notes, test-retest relibilty is low for stite anxiety because of ‘state anaiety"s transitory nature (Spelberger, 1983). The form of validity for a shost-form of the STAT to be assessed is concucrent validity, ie. the extent to which scores on the short-form ate similar to those obvained using the fullform, This is assessed for groups with mean STAI eztings near the population mean (unselected pregnant ‘Yomen), as well as groups with knowa raised aasiety [pregnant women following receipt of an abnormal test result during pregaaney). Method Siete “The sbjes compre thee groupe: Geoap 1: 38 meal sudkotyesending prchalogy lc; (Group 248 saent nurse, arendng a mesg leare; Group 3.39 pogmans worm, Sy I.sbove;aed Group 4-28 prgoant women who hal escivet eames le ort een ‘ee for eal sory. Dats fo these womes had been oben pa of sees aly (Marne (Cok, Ki, Nichi, Jaime, Sack & Shawn pes) Procedure Quesonnies were completed while sbjece waited for lectures (Groupe 1 and 2), led «routine ‘Ge appoinimene (Group 3), anda hme, ang spol gues (Group) Results ‘The reliability coeficient for the 20item STAI was: a= 91; for the sx items: 4 = .82; forthe four items: t= 77 Valty The companbilty of prorated scores from the six-and four item scales with the wse ‘of che fll scale was used to determine the concurrent vabdityof the two short-forms of the STAL To avoid over-inflted correlations caused by items correlating with themselves (Pieree, Sarason & Sarason, 1986), the sixtem questionnaize was compared with both the 20- and i4item questionasires, and the four-item uestionnaice was compared with both the 16- and 20'tem questionnaices, Comparisons were made using paired / tents (see Table 2). “There were no dferences in the mean scores obtained using the fllfoem of the STAT and those obtained using the prorated six-icem sho-t-form, for any ofthe three304 Theresa M. Marte ond Hilary Becher ‘Table 2, STAT scores (mean SD) derived from (¢) the fallform, the prorated six- item short-form and the prorated Lita short-form and (b) the full-form, the proteted four-item short-form and the prorated IG-item short-form Seadent W=4) ® Fullform 20items) —S76(81) 38.7070) 46.2062) roeaed (6 items) ST1GL) 39975) 468,62) ‘Prosted (14 emt) SSG) — 39.869) 4620) o Fullform (20 items) «3761 «B8.7(70)——46.2062) Procated (ites) jag) #48) HRT) Procatod (1 ems) MOET BAT 45667 ‘Ni Peis sats wee wnderalen bewecn dt obtained rom the prorated 6 (6 er Forma ed oth te fa form an promt (16) fm arm Speseap eo ‘groupe. Similaly, there were no diferences between the means prorated from the six- ftem shortform and the means prorated from the remaining 14 items. ‘The prorated ‘means obtained from the four tem short-form were all significantly higher than the ‘means based on the 16 remaining items znd the full 20 items. Given this evidence suggesting the validity of the six-item short-form, Further analyses Were conducted ‘with just this short-form of the STAL "To determine whether the scitem shor form of the STAL is suficiently scastive to detect the changes in anxiety detected by the fall-form, STAI scores obtained using the sz-item sost-focm were compaced with those obeained using the fllform fon sample with known elevated ansiey. Following teceipt of an abaormal result fon maternal serum alphe-fetoprotcia screening indicating increated tsk of spina bile and Down's syndrome, women’s anxiety scores are significantly cxised compared both with thie levels prior to testing, and whea compazed with women receiving a normal test resule (Marteao eal, ia press). The mean STAI score for these women immediatly following xeseipt of an abnormal cest result is 46.4 (SD 14.8); the mean ecore prorated from the sx-item shore form is 47.7 (SD 15.8): 22) =0.96, p = 35). Thos, the mean score obtained from the si-isem short-form is simile to that obtained using the fallform of the STALL General discussion ‘The sx item short-form ofthe STAI (STAI-6: Appendix A) produces scores simile to those obtained using the full 20-tem STAL, Te has acceptable reliability, and produces scares that are similar co those produced with the fall-form across subject, froups manifesting normal and cased levels of ansicry. Two of the thre anxiety fbsent items are those identified by Spielberger co be particularly sensitive ro lowSiscitem short-form of state sale of STAT 305 stressors; all chree ansiety-present items he reports 25 being particularly sensitive to high secessozs Spielhesges, 1983). When compared withthe Fall-form of the STAI, the size shortforn offers = bvefer and tute atceptble scale for subjecss it ‘maintains results that are comparable to those obtained using the fall-form of the STAT and remains seasiive to diferent degrees of anxiety. “There are several advantages to using 2 brief questionnaire. Is likely to maximize response rates, and minimize the number of response erzors and unanswered items, thus improving the validity and generalizability of any findings. ‘The longer 2 questionnaire, the more the responding sarnple will be based in favour of those who find reading and weiting easy. A bei questionnaize will alto reduce the time taken to complete the questionnaire, and the time taken to score the results. References Fos, EB, MeNaly, Re Mardock, TB. (18). Aniows moo! and memory. ier Ree ond "Tonapy, 27, 141ia7 [Meda Rf Fos, HB. & Donnell, CD 1988), Memory bis for anny infomation in peters ‘ith pani dcrde. igus end Eaton, 3, 27-48. arene TM, Cook, Ki, Jy Miche, Joastoa, M, Slack J. 8 Shue, WT. Gn ee The persia elec of ab ove rer prenatal seretning fl aboot panes ly, Prem! Dg Manca, TM Johnston, M, Kidd, J Mic, S, Cook, R, Sack J. & Shaw, R. W952. Prychologiel moc in eedicng spre of promt seeing. Poa and i, 6 13°22 Piet, G.y Suton, 1G, & Surion, BR: G86), Socal apport quetonostes Pry, prtomsity cores aad theory. Paper preewed a the Weuesn Prchslogial ues Convention, Washington. Snuth, TW log, RE. & Bec, 5.5. (1989, Soci anit, anions self pesenpain, end eal of sei micvactlvoraion. Jor of Peramaliy and Sol Poca, 4, 2761283. Speergee CD. (197. Primiary Mama! othe See Tat Paoaiy ly (STP, Vevey ‘of Pride: Ten Forms sd apchoonenie Du Spidberger, CD. (988) Mam for he Stat Trait coy Ime STAT (For Y), Palo li, CA: Consing Prychoiogis Press Spicicapen 2D, Comoe Rls & Lashene, 8 (170, Mana fr Stl Trt Ansty Jat (Gifraatin stim, Plo Alo, CA: Conssing Prycelogts Pes een 5 Jy 1995; rd wr reed 10 Feary 1992306, "Therese M. Marteow and Hilary Beker Appendix A: Self-evaluation questionnaire (¥-6 item) Mi tat it pp wn tbs a gible aad wt sao aed en Grit mat pene at fe te toe ee on ofl sow, 5 OME, ‘Tas vem er eg cers, Det ts at int oa) lee a ame hon edo pr ngs Notaeall Somewhat Modesty Very mmc 1. Tied elm 1 2 3 4 2 Tamme 1 a 3 : 3.1 fat ogee 1 2 3 4 reper 1 2 3 + Leal content i 2 3 4 6 Tam wore i 2 3 4 Pls ake oar tht you have anewered al the ques