Social Anxiety (SPIN-LS)

What the SPIN-LS measures

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is not just "being shy" or introverted. Introverts enjoy solitude because socializing drains their energy. People with Social Anxiety often want to connect with others, but are paralyzed by an intense, phobic fear of negative evaluation, humiliation, or judgment. The SPIN captures the clinical manifestation of this phobia, which triggers an actual physiological fight-or-flight response.

The dimensions it assesses

• Fear (Cognitive): The internal terror of being judged, embarrassed, or scrutinized by others (especially people in authority or strangers).
• Avoidance (Behavioral): The active alteration of one's life to escape social triggers (e.g., dropping classes, avoiding parties, refusing to speak in meetings).
• Physiological (Somatic): The bodily symptoms triggered by the phobia (e.g., blushing, sweating, heart palpitations, trembling) which the user fears others will notice.

What to do with your result

1. The Avoidance Feedback Loop: Users must be taught that avoidance guarantees the anxiety will survive. Every time a user avoids a party to escape anxiety, the brain learns: "The party was dangerous, and avoiding it saved your life." The only clinical cure is Exposure Therapy—systematic, graduated exposure to the feared stimuli without leaving the situation until the nervous system calms down.
2. The "Spotlight Effect": High scorers suffer from a cognitive distortion called the Spotlight Effect—the belief that everyone is intensely watching and judging their every move. Cognitive restructuring involves testing this hypothesis (e.g., intentionally dropping a pen in a cafe to realize no one actually cares or notices).
3. Medical Intervention: Severe physiological symptoms (trembling, blushing, palpitations) often trigger a secondary panic attack (fear of the symptoms themselves). Beta-blockers (like Propranolol) are highly effective in muting the physiological adrenaline response, allowing the user to engage in exposure therapy.

Common questions about the SPIN-LS

What does the SPIN-LS measure?

Measurement of Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia), evaluating the triad of fear, avoidance, and physiological arousal in social situations.

Can the SPIN-LS diagnose me?

No. Social Anxiety (SPIN-LS) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. Grief, burnout, a thyroid problem, medication side effects, chronic pain and months of bad sleep are not among its questions, and any of them can move a score. Telling those apart is what a professional assessment is for.

Is this SPIN-LS test really free?

Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.

Are my answers stored or shared?

No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.

How often should I retake the SPIN-LS?

Most of these questionnaires ask about the past one to two weeks, so retaking sooner than that mostly measures the same period twice. Every two to four weeks is a reasonable rhythm if you are tracking change. A direction of travel over several weeks tells a doctor far more than any single score.

How accurate is the SPIN-LS?

Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.

Why can I not take the SPIN-LS here?

Licensed by the same group as the CD-RISC. We will not reproduce a questionnaire we have no right to reproduce, so this page explains what it measures instead. The Social Phobia Scale / Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (Mattick & Clarke) is freely available.