Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)
Psychology: Mental HealthReliability: alpha 0.83–0.876 sample items
About this scale
A 30-item clinician-rated scale of schizophrenia symptoms across three subscales: positive (7 items), negative (7), and general psychopathology (16). Standard outcome measure in antipsychotic trials.
Sample item(s)
“Delusions (0–7)”
“Conceptual disorganization”
“Hallucinatory behavior”
“Blunted affect”
“Emotional withdrawal”
“Anxiety”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alpha 0.83–0.87. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Most cited schizophrenia symptom measure.
Source & citation
Kay, S. R., Fiszbein, A., & Opler, L. A. (1987): The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 261–276.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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