Behavior Evaluation Scale: Validity in Studies on Social Anxiety

Abstract

The present study was an initial effort to evaluate the use of the Behavior Evaluation Scale, a measure of the tendency to perceive behavior as pathological, in studies on social anxiety. 61 undergraduate students provided ratings on attributional dimensions and completed the scale as well as the Fear of Negative Evaluation questionnaire. There was a moderate correlation of .48 between the Behavior Evaluation Scale scores and fear of evaluation. In addition, participants who perceived the behavior as pathological scored higher on fear of evaluation only if they made internal or general attributions. Results suggest that the perception of behavior as measured by the Behavior Evaluation Scale and the fear of evaluation are distinct constructs. Suggestions for further examination of the scale's validity are discussed.