State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) is a questionnaire measure developed by Charles Spielberger. Anxiety is an emotion associated with feelings of tension, apprehension, nervousness, and worry, as well as autonomic nervous system activation. Feelings of anxiety fluctuate over time, varying with the level of threat perceived in the external environment. The STAI measures both trait anxiety (the individual’s stable disposition to experience anxiety) and state anxiety (the individual’s immediate emotional state of anxiety and apprehension). Trait anxiety reflects the frequency and intensity of the person’s past anxiety states as well as the likelihood of future anxiety. The STAI is the most widely used anxiety scale in the world. It has been used in numerous empirical studies and translated into more than 60 languages.

Spielberger, Richard Gorsuch, ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles