Psychometric Properties of Revised Social Anxiety Scale in Arab Cultures

Abstract

Objective: This multi-study report aimed to develop and validate an updated version of Social Anxiety Scale (Revised Social Anxiety Scale) in alignment with DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 diagnostic criteria, based on Heimberg’s cognitive-behavioral model. Method: Two independent studies were conducted. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to a sample of 314 adults from Syria and Oman to identify the factorial structure of a revised 43-item scale. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on a separate sample of 345 participants,. Results: EFA revealed a five-factor structure: (1) social situation anxiety, (2) difficulty interacting with strangers, (3) performance anxiety, (4) fear of criticism, and (5) physical symptoms. CFA confirmed the five-factor structure with excellent model fit indices (CFI = 0.961, RMSEA = 0.050). Measurement invariance across cultures (Syrian vs. Omani) and genders was established. The scale shows high internal consistency (α = .96) and strong valid criterion with established measures (SAQ-A30, SAD-D-10). Only one significant gender difference was found: the fear of negative evaluation was slightly higher in males. Conclusion: Overall, the scale demonstrates robust psychometric properties and cultural sensitivity, offering a reliable tool for clinical and research assessment of social anxiety in Arab populations. The scale further demonstrates potential clinical utility as a preliminary screening tool to enhance early diagnosis and guide culturally sensitive treatment planning.

Keywords

• social anxiety
• factor analysis
• psychometric properties
• reliability
• validity

Revize Sosyal Anksiyete Ölçeğinin Arap Toplumlarındaki Psikometrik Özellikleri

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışma, Heimberg'in bilişsel-davranışsal modeline dayalı olarak, DSM-5-TR ve ICD-11 tanı kriterlerine uyumlu bir Sosyal Anksiyete Ölçeği güncellenmiş versiyonunu (Recize Sosyal Anksiyete Ölçeği) geliştirmeyi ve doğrulamayı amaçlamıştır. Yöntem: Bu çalışma bağlamında, iki bağımsız çalışma gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışma 1'de, revize edilmiş 43 maddelik ölçeğin faktöriyel yapısını belirlemek üzere Suriye ve Umman'dan 314 yetişkin örneklemine açımlayıcı faktör analizi (AFA) uygulanmıştır. Çalışma 2'de, ayrı bir 345 katılımcı örneğinde doğrulayıcı faktör analizi (DFA) gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bulgular: AFA, beş faktörlü bir yapı ortaya koymuştur: (1) sosyal durum anksiyetesi, (2) yabancılarla etkileşim zorluğu, (3) performans anksiyetesi, (4) eleştiri korkusu ve (5) fiziksel belirtiler. Çalışma 2’de DFA ile beş faktörlü yapı, mükemmel model uyum indeksleri ile doğrulanmıştır (CFI = 0,961, RMSEA = 0,050). Kültürler (Suriye, Umman) ve cinsiyetler arası ölçüm değişmezliği kurulmuştur. Ölçek, yüksek iç tutarlılık (α = ,96) ve yerleşik ölçümlerle (SAQ-A30, SAD-D-10) güçlü kriter geçerliği göstermektedir. Yalnızca bir anlamlı cinsiyet farkı bulunmuştur: negatif değerlendirme korkusu erkeklerde hafifçe daha yüksektir. Sonuç: Genel olarak, ölçek sağlam psikometrik özellikler ve kültürel duyarlılık sergilemekte olup, Arap popülasyonlarında sosyal anksiyete değerlendirmesi için klinik ve araştırma amaçlı güvenilir bir araç sunmaktadır. Ölçek ayrıca, erken tanılamayı güçlendirmek ve kültürel olarak duyarlı tedavi planlamasını yönlendirmek üzere ön tarama aracı olarak potansiyel klinik fayda göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sosyal anksiyete
• faktör analizi
• psikometrik özellikler
• güvenilirlik
• geçerlilikl

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