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Shyness Scale
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About Shyness Scale
Scale Name
Shyness Scale
Author Details
Jonathan M. Cheek and Arnold H. Buss (1981)
Translation Availability
English
Background/Description
The Shyness Scale, developed by Jonathan M. Cheek and Arnold H. Buss in 1981, is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess shyness as a personality trait, focusing on discomfort and inhibition in social situations. A subscale of the Shyness and Sociability Scales, it targets adolescents and adults, with modifications to make it suitable for younger populations (e.g., changing “conversing” to “talking,” “inhibited” to “shy,” and adding “school dance” as a social situation example). Cited in Cheek and Buss (1981), the scale aligns with social psychology and personality frameworks, exploring shyness as a dimension of social anxiety and its impact on interpersonal interactions (Buss, 1980).
The Shyness Scale comprises 9 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = “Extremely uncharacteristic” to 4 = “Extremely characteristic”). Example items include “I have trouble looking someone in the eye,” “I am often uncomfortable at parties and other social functions,” and “I feel tense when I’m with people I don’t know well.” Scores are summed (range: 0-36), with higher scores indicating greater shyness. Validated in adolescent and adult samples, the scale is used to assess social discomfort, predict interpersonal challenges, and inform interventions for social skills and anxiety management.
Psychologists, social psychology researchers, and clinicians use the Shyness Scale to evaluate shyness, study its effects on social functioning, and design interventions to reduce social anxiety. Its brevity, strong psychometrics, and adaptability for adolescents are strengths, though English-only availability may limit cross-cultural use.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Obtain a copy of the scale from authorized sources, such as Cheek and Buss (1981) in Personality and Individual Differences (Vol. 2, pp. 289-294), ensuring ethical use permissions.
- Explain the purpose to respondents, noting that it assesses feelings of shyness in social situations to support psychological understanding, emphasizing anonymity and using age-appropriate, non-judgmental language.
- Provide instructions, asking respondents to rate how characteristic each statement is of themselves, using the 5-point scale, based on general tendencies. Use the adolescent-modified version (e.g., “talking” instead of “conversing”) for younger populations.
- Approximate time for completion is 2-3 minutes, given the 9-item format.
- Administer in clinical, school, or research settings, using paper or digital formats, ensuring a private environment. Oral administration may be used for adolescents with reading difficulties.
Reliability and Validity
The Shyness Scale has robust psychometric properties, as reported in Cheek and Buss (1981). Internal consistency is good, with Cronbach’s α = 0.73 in the referenced study, and typically ranges from 0.70-0.80 across studies. Test-retest reliability is high (r = 0.74 over 2-4 weeks), indicating stability.
Convergent validity is supported by correlations with related constructs, such as social anxiety measures (r ≈ 0.50-0.70) and the Social Anxiety subscale of the Self-Consciousness Scale (r ≈ 0.40-0.60) (Fenigstein et al., 1974). Discriminant validity is evidenced by weaker correlations with unrelated constructs, like cognitive ability (r < 0.20). Criterion validity is demonstrated by predicting social avoidance and interpersonal difficulties in studies. Factor analyses confirm a unidimensional structure, supporting construct validity. Its reliability in adolescent populations makes it versatile, though pairing with measures like the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (La Greca & Lopez, 1998) can enhance assessment.
Available Versions
09-Items
Reference
Cheek, J. M., & Buss, A. H. (1981). Shyness and sociability. Journal of personality and social psychology, 41(2), 330.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Shyness Scale measure?
It measures shyness as a trait, focusing on social discomfort and inhibition.
Who can use the scale?
Psychologists, social psychology researchers, and clinicians studying adolescents and adults.
How long does the scale take to complete?
It takes about 2-3 minutes.
Is the scale specific to certain groups?
It targets adolescents and adults, with modifications for younger populations.
Can the scale inform interventions?
Yes, its strong psychometrics support interventions for social anxiety and skills.
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