What is social anxiety?
Nervousness before public speaking, blushing around strangers, worrying about being judged — nearly everyone experiences these. But when that tension is strong enough that you actively avoid work presentations, gatherings, or phone calls, and it persistently affects your life, it may fall into the social anxiety spectrum.
The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), developed by psychiatrist Michael Liebowitz in 1987, is one of the most widely used social anxiety measures in clinical practice and research. It covers 24 common social situations (e.g., talking to people you don't know well, eating in public, working while being watched, expressing disagreement) and rates fear and avoidance separately for each.
Scale structure: fear × avoidance, interaction × performance
The LSAS's distinctive feature is its two dimensions:
- Fear: how anxious you feel in the situation;
- Avoidance: how often you steer clear of it because of anxiety.
Each dimension is scored 0-3 per situation. The 24 situations split into two groups:
- Interaction situations (16): phone calls, talking to authority figures, attending parties, conversing with strangers;
- Performance situations (8): public speaking, writing while watched, eating in public.
Total scores range 0-144. Reference grading: 0-29 mild / 30-49 moderate / 50-64 marked / 65-79 severe / 80+ very severe. A total above 60, or a strong asymmetry between fear and avoidance, deserves serious attention.
Reading your results
High fear, low avoidance
You feel anxious in situations but do them anyway. People like this pay an internal cost — every social encounter feels like an ordeal, with endless replay afterward. Long term this is exhausting; relaxation and acceptance skills help.
High fear, high avoidance
The classic avoidance pattern. Avoidance relieves the moment but shrinks your life: missed opportunities, lost relationships, falling self-esteem. Avoidance fuels anxiety — it teaches your brain that these situations really are dangerous.
Low fear, high avoidance
Sometimes this is anticipatory anxiety: recalling a past awkward moment, you flee before arriving. Sometimes it relates to temperament (introversion) or autism spectrum traits — the issue isn't fear of judgment but that socializing itself is draining. Understanding the "why" matters.
Coping with social anxiety
1. Gradual exposure (the core method)
List avoided situations from least to most anxiety-provoking. Deliberately enter one or two each week and stay long enough. The goal isn't to be calm — it's to stay with the anxiety and complete the task. Your brain needs repeated "nothing bad happened" experiences to update its predictions.
2. Drop safety behaviors
We often use "safety behaviors" in social settings: preparing scripts, staring at phones, staying in corners, leaving early. They lower anxiety in the moment but prevent you from learning that you can cope without them.
3. Handle anticipatory anxiety
Shift attention from "what do they think of me?" to "what do I observe?" — the room, others' expressions, the conversation itself. Social anxiety centers on excessive self-focus; redirecting attention outward works quickly.
4. See a professional when needed
If social anxiety significantly affects work, study, or relationships, or comes with persistent low mood, consult a psychiatrist or psychologist. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has strong evidence for social anxiety, and first-line medications are well established.
Disclaimer: This test is a social anxiety screening tool and cannot replace clinical diagnosis. If you score high or remain distressed, please consult a qualified professional.