Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
anxiety
The STAI, developed in 1970, includes a separate self-assessment scale to measure state and trait anxiety. The state anxiety scale (STAI Form Y-1) with 20-item assesses a person's feelings at "the moment and the time of response." The trait anxiety scale (STAI Form Y-2) similarly with 20 items measures a person's general and normal emotions. Examples of items for state anxiety include: “I feel calm”, “I feel pleasant”, “I feel nervous”, and “I feel jittery”. Examples of items for trait anxiety include: “I am calm, cool and collected", “I am happy”, “I worry too much over something that really doesn't matter”, and “I have disturbing thoughts”. In responding to the state anxiety scale, a number of options are provided for each item and participants choose the one expressing the intensity of their feelings well. The items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from not at all (1), somewhat (2), moderately so (3), and very much so (4). In answering the trait anxiety scale, participants should choose the option reflecting their normal and frequent feelings based on a 4-point Likert scale as follows: almost never (1), sometimes (2), often (3), and almost always (4). STAI with good psychometric properties is considered as a standard test [