SessionFuelSessionFuel
🇺🇸EN
🇺🇸EN
TestAnxietyAssess

Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale

The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) is a widely used, clinically validated instrument designed to assess the presence and severity of social anxiety…

Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale
Questions
48
Duration
15 min
Original title
LSAS — Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale
Adaptation
Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale
Authors
Liebowitz, M. R.
Created
1987

The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) is a widely used, clinically validated instrument designed to assess the presence and severity of social anxiety disorder (SAD). Developed by Dr. Michael Liebowitz, the scale distinguishes itself by independently measuring two core dimensions of the disorder: the subjective intensity of fear and the behavioral frequency of avoidance.

Structured around 24 specific situations, the LSAS covers both performance-based scenarios and unstructured social interactions. This comprehensive design allows clinicians to recognize social anxiety disorder features and identify whether a patient's anxiety is localized to performance situations or generalizes across daily social life.

As a repeatable measure, the LSAS is highly sensitive to clinical change, making it a reliable tool for intake baselining and treatment monitoring in behavioral health settings. Tracking these scores ensures that nuanced shifts in emotional reactivity are captured accurately.

Example result

Fictitious result, computed from a sample set of answers.

Overall score
72/ 144
Scale designed to measure the intensity of fear/anxiety and the frequency of avoidance across 24 social and performance situations characteristic of social anxiety disorder (social phobia). Each situation is rated on two distinct dimensions: fear (0 to 3) and avoidance (0 to 3). Originally developed as a clinician-administered assessment, it is also validated as a self-report measure (LSAS-SR). It constitutes the international gold standard in clinical and therapeutic trials on social phobia, allowing for the evaluation of baseline severity and monitoring of treatment response.
0–29
Absent or minimal social anxiety
30–49
Mild
50–64
Moderate
65–79
Marked
72
80–94
Severe
95–144
Very severe
Marked social anxiety (65-79). For reference, the ROC cutoff of 60 distinguishing the generalized subtype (LSAS manual) is already exceeded in this range.
Scoring
Sum (total score = fear + avoidance; subscores possible by dimension and by subscale), total score from 0 to 144, each item is rated on a 4-point scale (from 0 to 3).
Social interaction fear / anxiety
10/ 33
Fear experienced in social interaction situations.
items 9, 13, 19, 21, 23, 29, 35, 37, 43, 45, 47
10
033
Performance fear / anxiety
14/ 39
Fear experienced in performance situations in front of others.
items 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 15, 17, 25, 27, 31, 33, 39, 41
14
039
Avoidance of social interactions
21/ 33
Frequency of avoidance of social interaction situations.
items 10, 14, 20, 22, 24, 30, 36, 38, 44, 46, 48
21
033
Avoidance of performance situations
27/ 39
Frequency of avoidance of performance situations.
items 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 18, 26, 28, 32, 34, 40, 42
27
039

Have your patient take this test

Assign it in one click: your patient answers on their phone, you receive the score and its interpretation.

Assign this test to a patient

What the test measures

The LSAS systematically maps how social anxiety manifests across daily life by separating the emotional experience of dread from the behavioral act of avoidance, helping to understand the anxiety experience comprehensively.

  • Performance situations: Evaluates distress and avoidance when the individual is acting, speaking, or being observed by an audience (e.g., eating in public, giving a talk).
  • Social interactions: Assesses anxiety and avoidance during unstructured or interpersonal engagements, differentiating it from normative social anxiety symptoms like ordinary shyness.
  • Subjective fear: Measures the internal intensity of anxiety or panic anticipated or experienced in the situation.
  • Behavioral avoidance: Captures the concrete frequency with which the individual alters their behavior to escape or avoid the feared scenario.

This instrument is designed for adults undergoing clinical assessment or treatment for social anxiety, providing a nuanced profile of their functional impairment.

When and why to use it

Clinicians typically use the LSAS to structure their assessment of social phobia, differentiate its subtypes, and track clinical progress over time.

  • Intake baseline: To establish a comprehensive initial profile of feared and avoided situations, often complementing the process of exploring problems using the CBT model.
  • Treatment monitoring: To objectively track changes in both emotional reactivity and behavioral avoidance across therapy sessions.
  • Diagnostic screening: To compare symptoms against established clinical thresholds for social anxiety and its generalized subtype.
  • Exposure planning: To identify highly avoided situations, helping to collaboratively build assertiveness skills and construct a graduated exposure hierarchy.

Using the validated LSAS scores adds a reliable, quantified dimension to the clinical impression, ensuring that subtle reductions in avoidance are recognized even if subjective fear temporarily remains high.

Clinical library

750+ clinical tools

A library built with and for clinicians, ready to use in session and extend between appointments.

Access all the tools
Several resource types
Psychoeducation handouts
Understand at a glance
Interactive exercises
To do and fill in
Interactive programs
A structured path
Audios
Meditation and relaxation
Psychometric tests
Automatic scoring

The questions

  1. For each of the following 24 situations, indicate on the one hand the intensity of fear or anxiety you feel (or would feel) in that situation, and on the other hand how often you avoid that situation, over the past week. If you have not encountered a situation, imagine what your reaction would be if you were faced with it.
    1. Telephoning in public — Fear / anxiety
    Evaluates the emotional distress triggered by communicating audibly in an environment where others might overhear.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  2. 2. Telephoning in public — Avoidance
    Measures the behavioral tendency to eschew phone calls when situated in a public or shared space.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  3. 3. Participating in a small group — Fear / anxiety
    Assesses the subjective apprehension associated with interactive group dynamics and shared conversations.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  4. 4. Participating in a small group — Avoidance
    Captures the frequency of withdrawing from or declining participation in small group settings.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  5. 5. Eating in public — Fear / anxiety
    Probes the fear of scrutiny or embarrassment while consuming food in front of others.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  6. 6. Eating in public — Avoidance
    Tracks how often the individual alters their routine to avoid dining in public venues.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  7. 7. Drinking with others in public places — Fear / anxiety
    Explores the anxiety linked to consuming beverages socially, often tied to fears of trembling or awkwardness.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  8. 8. Drinking with others in public places — Avoidance
    Measures the avoidance of social situations centered around sharing drinks in public.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  9. 9. Talking to people in authority — Fear / anxiety
    Evaluates the distress experienced when interacting with figures perceived as holding power or evaluative roles.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  10. 10. Talking to people in authority — Avoidance
    Assesses the behavioral evasion of conversations with superiors, teachers, or authoritative figures.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  11. 11. Acting, performing, or giving a talk to an audience — Fear / anxiety
    Captures the intensity of performance anxiety when presenting to an observing crowd.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  12. 12. Acting, performing, or giving a talk to an audience — Avoidance
    Measures the frequency with which public speaking or performance opportunities are refused.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  13. 13. Going to a party — Fear / anxiety
    Probes the anticipatory and situational dread of attending unstructured social gatherings.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  14. 14. Going to a party — Avoidance
    Tracks how often the individual declines invitations to social events or parties.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  15. 15. Working while being observed — Fear / anxiety
    Assesses the apprehension triggered by having one's professional or manual tasks scrutinized by others.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  16. 16. Working while being observed — Avoidance
    Evaluates the behavioral strategies used to escape being watched while completing a task.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  17. 17. Writing while being observed — Fear / anxiety
    Explores the specific fear of judgment or physical trembling when writing in front of someone.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  18. 18. Writing while being observed — Avoidance
    Measures the avoidance of situations that require filling out forms or writing publicly.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  19. 19. Calling someone you don't know very well — Fear / anxiety
    Captures the interpersonal distress of initiating contact with a distant acquaintance or stranger over the phone.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  20. 20. Calling someone you don't know very well — Avoidance
    Tracks the tendency to delay or bypass phone calls to unfamiliar individuals.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  21. 21. Talking to people you don't know very well — Fear / anxiety
    Evaluates the anxiety experienced during conversations with loose acquaintances or strangers.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  22. 22. Talking to people you don't know very well — Avoidance
    Assesses the behavioral withdrawal from interactions with individuals outside the immediate social circle.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  23. 23. Meeting strangers — Fear / anxiety
    Probes the initial dread associated with introductions and facing completely unfamiliar people.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  24. 24. Meeting strangers — Avoidance
    Measures how often the individual sidesteps opportunities or environments where they might meet new people.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  25. 25. Urinating in a public restroom — Fear / anxiety
    Assesses the specific distress related to paruresis or the fear of scrutiny in public restrooms.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  26. 26. Urinating in a public restroom — Avoidance
    Tracks the behavioral avoidance of public washrooms or the inability to use them when needed.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  27. 27. Entering a room when everyone is already seated — Fear / anxiety
    Explores the anxiety of drawing attention to oneself by arriving after a group has settled.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  28. 28. Entering a room when everyone is already seated — Avoidance
    Evaluates the frequency of waiting, skipping, or arriving overly early to avoid entering an occupied room.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  29. 29. Being the center of attention — Fear / anxiety
    Captures the acute emotional discomfort of becoming the focal point of a group's awareness.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  30. 30. Being the center of attention — Avoidance
    Measures the steps taken to deflect attention, remain unnoticed, or blend into the background.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  31. 31. Speaking up at a meeting — Fear / anxiety
    Probes the fear of negative evaluation when contributing verbally in a professional or formal group setting.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  32. 32. Speaking up at a meeting — Avoidance
    Tracks the tendency to remain silent or withhold opinions during meetings or group discussions.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  33. 33. Taking a test — Fear / anxiety
    Assesses the performance anxiety and fear of failure associated with formal evaluations or exams.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  34. 34. Taking a test — Avoidance
    Measures the avoidance of certifications, academic assessments, or situations requiring formal testing.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  35. 35. Expressing disagreement or disapproval to people you don't know very well — Fear / anxiety
    Explores the distress related to assertiveness and potential interpersonal conflict with unfamiliar individuals.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  36. 36. Expressing disagreement or disapproval to people you don't know very well — Avoidance
    Evaluates the behavioral suppression of dissenting opinions to maintain a low profile.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  37. 37. Making eye contact with people you don't know very well — Fear / anxiety
    Captures the specific discomfort of maintaining direct eye contact during social interactions.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  38. 38. Making eye contact with people you don't know very well — Avoidance
    Tracks the frequency of averting gaze or employing visual safety behaviors with strangers.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  39. 39. Giving a report to a group — Fear / anxiety
    Assesses the anxiety triggered by formally presenting information to an assembled audience.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  40. 40. Giving a report to a group — Avoidance
    Measures how often the individual delegates, postpones, or entirely avoids formal group presentations.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  41. 41. Trying to flirt with someone — Fear / anxiety
    Probes the acute vulnerability and fear of rejection associated with initiating romantic or flirtatious interest.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  42. 42. Trying to flirt with someone — Avoidance
    Tracks the behavioral avoidance of initiating contact in dating or courtship contexts.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  43. 43. Returning goods to a store — Fear / anxiety
    Explores the anticipatory anxiety of a transactional conflict or asserting a consumer right.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  44. 44. Returning goods to a store — Avoidance
    Evaluates the tendency to keep unwanted items rather than face a potentially confrontational return process.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  45. 45. Hosting a party — Fear / anxiety
    Captures the overwhelming responsibility and fear of judgment associated with hosting a social event.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  46. 46. Hosting a party — Avoidance
    Measures the avoidance of organizing or inviting others into one's own living space.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
  47. 47. Resisting a pushy salesperson — Fear / anxiety
    Assesses the distress experienced when forced to assert boundaries against an aggressive interpersonal approach.
    • No fear / anxiety
    • Mild fear / anxiety
    • Moderate fear / anxiety
    • Severe fear / anxiety
  48. 48. Resisting a pushy salesperson — Avoidance
    Tracks how often the individual yields to pressure or completely avoids sales environments to escape confrontation.
    • Never (0%)
    • Occasionally (1-33%)
    • Often (34-66%)
    • Usually (67-100%)
Patient mobile app

Your session continues in your patients' pocket

Use with a patient

Your resources, available everywhere

The handouts, exercises, programs and audios above: you choose which ones to make available to your patients, in the mobile app dedicated to them.

Psychoeducation handoutsInteractive exercisesInteractive programsAudiosPsychometric tests

And far more than a library

The app goes well beyond resources, to support your patients every day:

Standardized tests
Therapy journal
Gamification
Wellbeing challenges
Introspection prompts
Therapist homework

Related categories

Explore other clinical resources by category.

Anxiety Disorders: Clinical Resources for Assessment and Treatment

Anxiety

Clinical hub for anxiety disorders: CBT and ACT worksheets, psychoeducation sheets, and exercises for assessment and treatment across the anxiety spectrum.

Trauma & PTSD: Clinical Resources for Assessment and Treatment

Trauma

Clinical hub on trauma and PTSD: assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment phases, and printable resources for practitioners. 155 chars.

Mood Disorders: Evidence-Based Worksheets for Clinical Practice

Mood

Evidence-based worksheets and clinical tools for mood disorders: CBT, ACT, and positive psychology resources for psychologists and therapists.

Self-Identity in Clinical Practice: Assessment and Therapeutic Tools

Identity

Clinical resources for self-identity work in therapy: CBT, ACT, schema tools for clinicians addressing self-concept, core beliefs, and identity disruption.

Emotion Regulation: Clinical Worksheets and Tools for Therapists

Emotions

Clinical resources on emotion regulation: worksheets, coping tools, CBT, REBT, and ACT exercises for therapists working across diagnoses and age groups.

Behaviors in Clinical Practice: Assessment and Treatment Tools

Behaviours

Clinical hub for behaviors in therapy: worksheets and tools for coping, eating disorders, CBT formulation, and maladaptive behavioral patterns.