Scale Introduction

Free online test for Social Phobia - Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD). SAD is a tool developed by Watson and Friend in 1969 to measure individuals' tendency to avoid social interactions and their distress feelings during actual social encounters.

Social avoidance refers to the tendency to evade social interactions, while distress represents the emotional discomfort experienced in such situations. Avoidance is a behavioral manifestation, whereas distress is an emotional response.

These emotional and behavioral reactions may stem from negative self-evaluation of one's performance, excessive concern about others' opinions, lack of desire to communicate in certain social settings, or previous significant negative experiences that didn't yield satisfactory outcomes.

Suggestions:

1. Don't set excessively high or perfect standards for your social performance;

2. Practice perspective-taking - try to view your performance the way you view others' social interactions;

3. Communicate with others to understand their genuine opinions about your performance;

4. Seek social settings and topics that align with your interests and preferences.