Social Phobia and Anxiety: Is This Survey Accurate?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a survey designed to assess social phobia and social anxiety disorder. Participants share their scores from the survey and express curiosity about its accuracy and validity, questioning whether it may be considered pseudoscience. The conversation touches on personal experiences with social anxiety, its impact on daily life, and varying interpretations of the survey's questions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants report their scores, with one scoring 99 and another 116, indicating severe anxiety, while others score much lower, suggesting varying levels of social anxiety.
  • Several participants describe personal experiences with social anxiety, including difficulties in social situations like ordering food or public speaking.
  • One participant notes that their anxiety has decreased with age and practice, suggesting that exposure to challenging situations can help reduce anxiety over time.
  • Concerns are raised about the phrasing of the survey questions, with some participants feeling that the questions do not accurately reflect the complexities of their anxiety.
  • There is a discussion about the role of self-image in social anxiety, with some attributing their anxiety to past experiences and perceptions of themselves.
  • One participant mentions the idea of challenging oneself to confront anxiety-inducing situations as a form of personal development.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of scores and experiences, indicating that there is no consensus on the accuracy of the survey or the nature of social anxiety. Some agree on the challenges posed by social situations, while others question the survey's validity and the interpretation of its results.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations in the survey's questions, suggesting that they may not capture the nuances of individual experiences with anxiety. There is also a recognition that anxiety can vary significantly based on context and personal history.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in social anxiety, mental health discussions, or those seeking to understand the variability of personal experiences with anxiety may find this discussion relevant.

Degree of social anxiety

  • None. <55

    Votes: 16 42.1%

  • Moderate. 55-65

    Votes: 7 18.4%

  • Marked. 65-80

    Votes: 6 15.8%

  • Severe. 80-95

    Votes: 3 7.9%

  • Very Severe. >99

    Votes: 6 15.8%
  • Total voters
    38
  • #31
What about becoming a TA and having to have office hours, teach tutorials, teach labs, etc.?
 
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  • #32
George Jones said:
What about becoming a TA and having to have office hours, teach tutorials, teach labs, etc.?

Was this directed at me?

Since I applied to grad school this year, I had already run that experiment through my head. I can do office hours and 1 on 1 all day, I've tutored people informally before. Teaching tutorials would probably make me break a sweat, as talking in front of an unknown audience generally does.

So yeah I'd be a terrible TA in the classroom, thank goodness I didn't get accepted into grad school...
 
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  • #33
I scored a 54, although I was diagnosed with social anxiety by my psychiatrist. Even though I've been taking medicine for it I still feel anxious in social situations and I'm socially awkward and often avoid talking to strangers and such. My score should have much higher than a 54. I know I have social anxiety, I live with it everyday.
 
  • #34
kyraj said:
I scored a 54, although I was diagnosed with social anxiety by my psychiatrist. Even though I've been taking medicine for it I still feel anxious in social situations and I'm socially awkward and often avoid talking to strangers and such. My score should have much higher than a 54. I know I have social anxiety, I live with it everyday.

So does being on anxiety meds influence how you took the quiz? I mean, when I take a quiz like that, I put myself in the situation and take my best guess at how I would react. Therefore the results are highly dependent on my mood at the time - one of many reasons why they aren't accurate. If I used that strategy when taking meds I guess it would be a good measure of how well they are working.

Btw I took the quiz several days ago, I got a 34 I think - no fear, just avoidance.
 
  • #35
5 + 12 = 17. I don't think so. These kinds of quizzes corner you with limited choices, or the question does not really deal with things that really do cause anxiety. For me anyway.
 
  • #36
I scored a 54, although I was diagnosed with social anxiety by my psychiatrist. Even though I've been taking medicine for it I still feel anxious in social situations and I'm socially awkward and often avoid talking to strangers and such. My score should have much higher than a 54. I know I have social anxiety, I live with it everyday.
 
  • #37
jim mcnamara said:
5 + 12 = 17. I don't think so. These kinds of quizzes corner you with limited choices, or the question does not really deal with things that really do cause anxiety. For me anyway.

The question about writing threw me. What do they mean by writing? Just plain old writing whatever on a piece of paper? Just being in the same room with people and writing, or literally having someone watch what you write and how you write it?
 
  • #38
Yeah SSRI's (the more commonly used anti-dep's these days) are often prescribed to people with social phobia, so it certainly should have an effect on your answers, but probably not a lot...

I am and have been on SSRI's for 7 months now and I still scored 99, so I guess my "true" score with my "natural" brain chemical levels should be higher.
 
  • #39
scored 48
Though I agree I dn't suffer from social anxiety, I'll say itz pseudoscience
 
  • #40
WannabeNewton said:
Yeah I hear you and it really sucks. I think, in my case, much of it has to do with my self-image. I'm extremely skinny and rather tall and people have made notice of it throughout my life, everyone from relatives to friends to strangers, and it stings every time they bring it up. After a while I just got too embarrassed to interact much socially because of my self-image and the damage is done at this point so I just stuck with it.

as mentioned in this thread already, that "concern" dissipates with age if you just follow status quo.

I found my self-consciousness about image was related to my impression of image. Ensure you don't have a distorted view of physical appearance.

On a side note, I seen some "reality cop show" that has an officer who has such sever burns he is barely recognizable as human. even the one visible eye looks all black. He is an investigator so of course that requires exceptional social interactions / skills. Watching that guy do his thing without the slightest concern for HIMSELF (his physical appearance) was inspiring AND revealing.
EDIT: found a link to him, guess he is retired now, but was working as an investigator.
Jason Schechterle, the show was First 48 Hours

A good friend of mine was tall and skinny in HS. He was the butt end of jokes and as a result became self-conscious about his physical appearance. After HS, he started to workout & eat allot more food. The motivation to workout was from not wanting to have a certain appearance. The motivation to keep it up came from all the attention the girls give him, and how some guys are intimidated / give a little extra respect ...this is ten years later.

Your actions have far more physical impact than your emotions...not news to you I'm sure.
 
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  • #41
wow I only got a 34.

Looks like the worst thing for me would be to approach a girl I'm interested in at a party I'm hosting and the girl turns out to be a high pressure sales person, and then having a disagreement with her...that'd be just awful.
 
  • #42
6(fear) + 11(avoidance) = 17
 
  • #43
88. I thought I would be higher.
 
  • #44
I got a 69 score, although a lot of the questions can be answered anything depending on what they mean. I don't like talking on the phone in public, but apparently this is one of the worst things you can do in Japan. Is all of Japan socially anxious?

I do worst when there's groups of people and I have to somehow join one of them and not look awkward doing it. Or doing a cold-meeting with pretty much anybody. They have drugs for this? What do they do?

Alcohol pretty much removes any social anxiety I have, except the groups of people where I know nobody. Even when you manage to make your way into the group circle...wtf do you say that the whole group who've probably know each other since childhood, could possibly find interesting?
 
  • #45
Lsos said:
They have drugs for this? What do they do?

They make you more natural and acceptable. :smile: That should ease any anxiety.
 
  • #46
I got a 12 but I have PTSD, so I'm not sure if this survey is any good...
 

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