Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS)

Abstract

Abstract: Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) is an instrument used to evaluate the severity of social phobia. It has been widely used in different contexts and cultures, presenting variable psychometric properties. The aim of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties of LSAS. Method: The sample consisted of 342 students (184 females, 158 males) aged 19 - 34(Mean age=21.93, SD=3.44 years); Subjects were selected from eight faculties of Isfahan University, using a random clustering procedure. In order to measure test-retest reliability, LSAS was re-administered to fifty-eight students three weeks after the first session. Results: The method of Principal components analysis (Varimax Normalized Rotation) was applied to evaluate structural validity of LSAS. The factor analysis defined 5 factors which covered 84.68% of the total variability of the data. The five factors extracted were: 1) speaking in a group; 2) social interaction in leisure activity; 3) activity in public; 4) attitude of disagreement or disapproval;and 5) social interaction with unknown person. The reliability coefficients (Cronbach alpha, split-half and test- retest) were found to be satisfactory for the total scale and its subscales. Conclusions: The scale is valid and reliable for studies that require a standard