Construcción y validación de una escala de ansiedad social

Objective: to develop and validate a scale of social anxiety in Venezuelan college students. Method: a set of items was prepared based on literature review and consultations with experts in the area. The analysis of items was carried out on a sample of 300 students; 20 reagents were selected according to statistical criteria. Then, validity and reliability studies were conducted in a sample of 408 students. Results: factorial analysis pointed out three significant factors (cognitive bias, malaise to observation and behavioral inhibition), which account for 44% of the variance. In the study of convergent validity, social anxiety is correlated with academic stress resulting from socialization (r =. 31) and fright (r =. 70). The internal consistency of the factors and the total scale was satisfactory. Appropriate test-retest reliability rates in a sample of 64 students were obtained. Conclusions: Although the scale shows good psychometric properties, it is recommended to obtain more convergent and divergent validity indicators, and through contrasting groups.