State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI, Spielberger)
Psychology: Mental HealthReliability: State alpha 0.92; Trait alpha 0.903 sample items
About this scale
A 40-item self-report inventory with 20 items each measuring state anxiety (current feelings) and trait anxiety (general anxiety-proneness). The most widely used anxiety measure in research.
Sample item(s)
“I feel calm (state, reverse)”
“I feel tense (state)”
“I am a steady person (trait, reverse)”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: State alpha 0.92; Trait alpha 0.90. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Commercial license. STAI-6 short form (Marteau & Bekker 1992) is freely available.
Source & citation
Spielberger, C. D. (1983): Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
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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Need to check the reliability or psychometrics of this scale in your own data? Use the free DrAIStudio research tools:
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