The Brief Social Phobia Scale (BSPS) is an observer-rated scale designed to assess the
characteristic symptoms of social phobia, using three subscales – fear, avoidance, and physiological
arousal – which may be combined into a total score. Each of 18 BSPS items is anchored to a 5-point
rating scale. Psychometric evaluation of the BSPS in a sample of 275 social-phobia patients yielded
a high level of reliability and validity. Test–retest reliability was excellent, as was internal
consistency. The fear and avoidance subscales demonstrated highly significant correlations with
remaining item totals; however, the physiological subscale did not. The BSPS also demonstrated
significant relationships with other established scales that assess anxiety and disability, and it proved
sensitive to treatment effects in a trial of a 5-HT3 antagonist and placebo. Factor analysis yielded
six meaningful factors. We conclude that the BSPS provides a reliable, valid, and sensitive measure
for the evaluation of social phobia.