Are you generally anxious, or only in specific situations? The STAI distinguishes state anxiety (how you feel right now) from trait anxiety (how you tend to feel generally). 40 items, about 10 minutes. The STAI (Spielberger et al., 1983) separates temporary anxiety states from long-standing anxiety tendencies, used widely in both clinical and research settings.

How anxious are you — right now, and in general?

The STAI separates anxiety into two types: how you feel this moment (state) versus how you tend to feel day-to-day (trait). 40 items across two independent scales, takes about 10 minutes. It has been in clinical and research use since the early 1980s, with reliability and validity data that hold up well across populations.

Instrument Structure

STAI Form Y includes two independent 20-item subscales:

S-Anxiety (State Anxiety, Items 1-20): Assesses how you feel right now. Uses a 4-point scale (1=Not at All to 4=Very Much So).

T-Anxiety (Trait Anxiety, Items 21-40): Assesses how you generally feel. Uses a 4-point scale (1=Almost Never to 4=Almost Always).

Psychometric Properties

  • Internal consistency: S-Anxiety α = 0.86-0.95; T-Anxiety α = 0.84-0.92
  • Test-retest reliability: S-Anxiety r = 0.16-0.62; T-Anxiety r = 0.65-0.86
  • Convergent validity: Correlations with Taylor MAS r = 0.73-0.85; Cattell AS r = 0.76-0.85
Reference: Spielberger, C. D., et al. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

Disclaimer

This self-report measure is a screening tool, not a clinical diagnostic instrument.

Scoring Guide

S-Anxiety: sum items 1-20 (reverse-scored: 1,2,5,8,10,11,15,16,19,20), range 20-80. T-Anxiety: sum items 21-40 (reverse-scored: 21,23,26,27,30,33,34,36,39), range 20-80. Not a clinical diagnostic tool.

Result Interpretation

Finish the 40 questions and you get your results straight away — no account, no sign-up, no waiting.

We calculate your total from your answers, then give you a plain-language explanation of what the numbers mean. Whenever possible, we also show how your results compare to population norms.

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