PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST NO.

5
SINHA’S COMPREHENSIVE ANXIETY TEST by Sinha and Sinha (SCAT) BY PROF.
A.K.P SINHA AND PROF. L.N.K. SINHA (SCAT).

(CONTENT HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW COLOR MUST NOT BE COPIED CARELESSLY.

PLEASE READ, THINK AND THEN WRITE CAREFULLY. )

AIM
To assess the anxiety level of the subject using Sinha’s Comprehensive Anxiety Test developed
by Prof. A.K.P Sinha and Prof. L.N.K. Sinha (SCAT).

BASIC CONCEPT
All of us experience stress in life and one of the commonest reactions to stress is anxiety. Any
situation that threatens the well- being of the organism produces a state of anxiety. Anxiety is a
concern about a forthcoming difficulty characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness, worry
and a very unpleasant feeling of fear or dread and apprehension. It is an aversive emotional state
associated with the apprehensive anticipation of future dangers. It is associated with increased
physiological arousal and incorporates somatic or bodily symptoms like rapid heart rate,
restlessness, shortness of breath, diarrhea, loss of appetite, fainting, dizziness, sweating,
sleeplessness, frequent urination and tremors etc. There are varying degrees of anxiety ranging
from mild apprehension to panicking. Although anxiety is an unpleasant state, occasional bouts
of anxiety are natural and sometimes even productive; it can signal that something is not quite
right and thus, help to both avoid danger and make important and meaningful changes. However,
persistent, pervasive and high levels of anxiety that disrupts one’s daily life- personal and
professional can be the mark of an anxiety disorder.

To cope with anxiety, individuals use certain strategies or defenses. Certain individuals develop
behavioral patterns that avoid rather than cope with problems. If a solution is not achieved, the
individual remains in a state of severe anxiety or may resort to other means of reducing anxiety.
Persistent higher levels of anxiety lead to neurotic reactions to day-to-day situations and may
manifest in neurotic diseases. These higher levels of anxiety are sometimes not visible by
individuals around and need to be explored psychometrically. Psychological tests are available to
measure the anxiety levels, which help in identifying mild, moderate and high levels of anxiety
in individuals. Once identified, it is easier to work on anxiety reaction and other neurotic
disorders.

METHODOLOGY
Details of the subject
Name : ABC
Age : ____ yrs
Sex : Male/Female
Occupation : (Mention if student)
Place : Psychology Laboratory

Materials required
SCAT Manual, SCAT Test Booklet and Eraser and Pencils
Description of the test
The Comprehensive Anxiety Test was developed by Sinha and Sinha (1990). The items of the
test were largely constructed on the basis of the symptoms of anxiety reported by those who
visited the Institute of Psychological Research and Service, Patna University for psychological
assistance. The test is a verbal self- report measure that consists of 90 questions and is related to
the personality of the subjects. Against each statement, the subject is expected to answer in either
‘Yes’ or “No’ which describes them more appropriately. No time limit is fixed for completing
the test. However, usually an individual takes 15 to 20 minutes in completing the test form.

Psychometric Properties
Reliability
The coefficient of reliability was determined as high by using the following two methods:
(i) The test-retest method (N=100) was employed to determine the temporal stability of
the test. The Product Moment correlation between the test and retest scores was 0.85.
(ii) The internal consistency reliability was ascertained by adopting odd-even procedure
(N=100). Using the Spearman Brown formula, the reliability coefficient of the test
was found to be 0.92.

Validity
The coefficient of validity was determined by computing the coefficient between scores on
Comprehensive Anxiety Test and on Taylor’s Manifest Anxiety Scale. It was 0.62, which was
found to be significant.

Norms
Norms for the test have been prepared on a sample of 400 college students consisting of the male
and the female sexes- 200 girls and 200 boys. Percentile norms have been developed separately
for both the males and the females.

PROCEDURE
Rapport Formation
The test material was kept ready on the table beforehand. Thereafter, the subject was called to
the laboratory and was seated comfortably. A short conversation was held to make the subject
feel at ease. A glass of water was also offered to the subject in an attempt to lower his/her
anxiety related to being tested. It was conveyed to the subject that this test was like a simple
activity carried out as a part of the psychology curriculum and was not meant to check any
psychological abnormality. It was made sure that the aim of the test was not revealed to the
subject, in order to avoid getting socially desirable responses. Thereafter, the important ethics of
informed consent, voluntary participation and confidentiality of results were shared with the
subject. Thereafter, the subject was instructed clearly on filling in the required demographic
details and about how to attempt the test.

Instructions
The following instructions were clearly read out to the subject:
“Some statements are given in the following pages and they are concerned with your behavior
and temperament. Against each statement, two alternate responses are provided in ‘YES’ and
‘NO’ form of cell. You have to read each question and put your views by tick (✓) mark on either
cell below Yes or No response. Please reply to all the statements without hesitation as your
response will be kept confidential. Although there is no time limit, still be quick in your work.

Are the instructions clear to you? Are you ready to start with the test?”
Thereafter with an affirmative response, the subject was encouraged to work on the test items.

Precautions
i. The laboratory must be quiet and free form distractions.
ii. The room should be well-lighted, and the temperature and seating should be comfortable.
 iii. Materials should be kept ready before the subject is called to the laboratory for
attempting the test.
iv. The test administrator must be familiar with what the test is, what it assesses, the duration
that is roughly allowed to complete the test, the instructions to be given, the ethics to be
shared and the process of administration in advance.
v. The purpose of the test should not be disclosed to the subject to avoid getting socially
undesirable responses.
vi. The instructions should be read more or less in the same way as they are given on the test
sheet, in a clear, an unhurried, and a friendly conversational manner.
vii. Any queries of the subject should be answered before beginning the administration.
viii. If the subject lingers too long on a question, (s)he should be prompted to carry on and
come back to it later.
ix. The subject should be clear with the information that there are no right or wrong answers
on the test.
x. After the test has been completed, the administrator must check that no item has been left
unanswered.
xi. It should be made sure that only one answer has been marked for each test item.

Test Administration
Test material was kept ready before-hand. The subject was called to the psychology laboratory
and was made to sit comfortably. A rapport was established with the subject. The clear
instructions were given to the subject to mark responses accordingly. He/she was instructed not
to linger on too much on a particular item, to answer the subsequent test items first and then,
coming back to the missed test item. The subject was allowed roughly a span of twenty-twenty
five minutes to attempt the test items. The test booklet was scrutinized for missed items and
double responses. Thereafter, the subject was asked to write an introspective report by reflecting
on their experience of doing the test. Subsequently, the scoring was done and the interpretation
for the results was completed using the test manual.

Introspective report
“…………………………..”(as written by the subject and must be written in the double quotes
exactly as the subject wrote)

Behavioral Report
(Note that the behavioral report of your subject will differ according to the subject’s behavior
you are observing. DESCRIBE THE BEHAVIOR OF YOUR SUBJECT AS PER YOUR
OBSERVATIONS.)

Scoring
The inventory can be scored without any scoring key or stencil. For any response indicated as
‘YES’, the subject should be awarded the score of 1, and 0 for ‘NO’. The sum of all the positive
or ‘YES’ responses would be the total anxiety score of the individual.

RESULT
Refer to the Table1: Results

Draw the following table on the plain side

Table1: Results
Total Raw Score Percentile Interpretation
 DISCUSSION AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
The aim of the test was to assess the anxiety level of the subject using SCAT. Sinha and Sinha
studied various anxiety tests available and found that many anxiety tests did not cover some
essential facets of anxiety. This and reasons such as disagreement and confusion around the
concept of Anxiety led to the development of SCAT by Sinha and Sinha. Anxiety is an
unpleasant feeling of fear or dread, angst, worry and apprehension accompanied by increased
physiological arousal. The norm tables in SCAT classify individuals into five categories on the
basis of anxiety patterns exhibited by them.

The subject obtained a score of …… , with a percentile equivalent of (eg., P80)………. .This
signifies …………….. level of anxiety in the subject. This can be interpreted as:

NOTE: PLEASE WRITE ONE OUT OF THE FOLLOWING BASED ON WHAT

RESULTS ARE OBTAINED FOR YOUR SUBJECT. DO NOT COPY EVERYTHING.
• if your subject has got an Extremely High Anxiety:
the subject exhibits hyper-anxiety. Her/his personality is complicated and she/he may be in the
need of counseling and psychotherapy.
• if your subject has got a High Anxiety:
the subject exhibits anxiety more than normal levels which must be tackled using effective
responses like making changes in the lifestyle such as better diet, exercise, taking out enough
time for rest and sleep, practicing relaxation and meditation, making a list of problems and
thinking of ways to manage them. If the problems and anxiety cannot be managed, the subject
should seek a mental health expert’s help.
• if your subject has got a Normal Anxiety level:
the subject exhibits anxiety within the manageable limits. Anxiety is an unpleasant state but it
also propels performance and motivates us to do our task well. It is this normal and required
range of anxiety, which the subject exhibits.
• if your subject has got a Low Anxiety level:
the subject exhibits anxiety lower than the normal and required levels of anxiety. Since anxiety
is an unpleasant state but it also propels performance and motivates us to do our task well, it is
essential that an individual experiences anxiety. Not experiencing anxiety or experiencing low
levels of anxiety can interfere with task performance and safety of an individual. Hence, it can
be taken as an emerging cause of concern.
• if your subject has got an Extremely Low Anxiety level:
the subject exhibits very low levels of anxiety and hence his/her personality can be seen as
undermotivated and sluggish.

CONCLUSION
The subject got a score of ________, with a percentile equivalent of _______. It shows that the
subject has a ________ level of anxiety.

REFERENCES
SCAT Manual
NCERT Psychology Text Book for class XII.