Development, Validity, and Reliability of the Social Anxiety IAT

Abstract

This study investigated the use of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to measure implicit social anxiety in graduate and undergraduate students. In Study 1, the results from 55 students and their 162 friends showed a positive relation between the participants' implicit social anxiety (measured by the social anxiety IAT) and state anxiety (others' ratings). Study 2 examined the criterion-related validity of the social anxiety IAT; 32 students completed two IATs to measure social anxiety and shyness. The correlation coefficient between the social anxiety IAT scores and the shyness IAT scores was r=.46 (p<.01). In Study 3, 26 students completed the social anxiety IAT twice with a one-week interval. The analysis yielded a correlation coefficient between the two social anxiety IAT scores over the one-week interval of r=.76 (p<.01). This series of studies demonstrated the validity and reliability of the social anxiety IAT.