title: Reliability, validity and sensitivity of a computerized visual analog scale measuring state anxiety.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of state anxiety is frequently required in clinical and research settings, but its measurement using standard multi-item inventories entails practical challenges. Such inventories are increasingly complemented by paper-and-pencil, single-item visual analog scales measuring state anxiety (VAS-A), which allow rapid assessment of current anxiety states. Computerized versions of VAS-A offer additional advantages, including facilitated and accurate data collection and analysis, and applicability to computer-based protocols. Here, we establish the psychometric properties of a computerized VAS-A.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experiment 1 assessed the reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the computerized VAS-A in a non-selected sample. Experiment 2 assessed its sensitivity to increase in state anxiety following social stress induction, in participants with high levels of social anxiety.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Experiment 1 demonstrated the computerized VAS-A's test-retest reliability (r = .44, p < .001); convergent validity with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory's state subscale (STAI-State; r = .60, p < .001); and discriminant validity as indicated by significantly lower correlations between VAS-A and different psychological measures relative to the correlation between VAS-A and STAI-State. Experiment 2 demonstrated the VAS-A's sensitivity to changes in state anxiety via a significant pre- to during-stressor rise in VAS-A scores (F(1,48) = 25.13, p < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Set-order administration of measures, absence of clinically-anxious population, and gender-unbalanced samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The adequate psychometric characteristics, combined with simple and rapid administration, make the computerized VAS-A a valuable self-rating tool for state anxiety. It may prove particularly useful for clinical and research settings where multi-item inventories are less applicable, including computer-based treatment and assessment protocols. The VAS-A is freely available: http://people.socsci.tau.ac.il/mu/anxietytrauma/visual-analog-scale/.
authors: School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. Electronic address: abend@tau.ac.il.
authors: Rany
authors: R
authors: Abend
authors: Department of Psychology, The Center for Psychobiological Research, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Israel.
authors: Orrie
authors: O
authors: Dan
authors: School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors: Keren
authors: K
authors: Maoz
authors: Department of Psychology, The Center for Psychobiological Research, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Israel.
authors: Sivan
authors: S
authors: Raz
authors: School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors: Yair
authors: Y
authors: Bar-Haim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; Electronic scale; State anxiety; Stress; VAS; Visual analog scale