Desarrollo y validación del Test de Ansiedad Social para estudiantes universitarios (TAS-U)

Abstract

The study of social anxiety in college students has gained particular importance if we consider its role in their social adjustment and psychological well-being. Despite this, there are no assessment tools that are specifically aimed at this population, which face events that can potentially generate anxiety on a daily basis. The Social Anxiety Test for University students (SAT-U) is presented herein with evidence of validity and reliability. Sixty-eight (68) preliminary items were designed taking into account the current literature, previous scales and consultation with experts. By using a non-probabilistic sampling, exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses were performed in a sample of Argentinian college students. A final scale was obtained with 27 items distributed in four factors (CFI = .95, TLI = .95 RMSEA = .063 and WRMR = 1.19). Regarding the internal consistency of the scale, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and the coefficient of composite reliability were good and excellent for each factor. The dimensions coincide with factors seen in studies with other similar scales, and with conceptual and theoretical postulates about social anxiety.

Keywords

• social anxiety
• university students
• assessment
• validation