State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y)
STAIA 40-item self-report inventory measuring two distinct anxiety constructs: state anxiety (how one feels right now) and trait anxiety (how one generally feels), 20 items each.
Ready-to-cite methods sentence
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Reliability & validation
Subscales
Known limitations
Licensed instrument (permission required from Mind Garden). State and trait items share wording, which can inflate their correlation, and several items load on general negative affect rather than anxiety specifically.
Original citation
Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., Jacobs, G. A. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y). Consulting Psychologists Press.
This instrument is licensed. Folio does not distribute its item wording — obtain permission from the copyright holder before using it in your study.
Questions researchers ask
What does the STAI measure?
A 40-item self-report inventory measuring two distinct anxiety constructs: state anxiety (how one feels right now) and trait anxiety (how one generally feels), 20 items each.
How many items does the STAI have?
The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y) (STAI) has 40 items across 2 subscales: State Anxiety (S-Anxiety), Trait Anxiety (T-Anxiety).
Is the STAI free to use?
The STAI is licensed. You must obtain permission from the copyright holder before using it in a study — Folio does not distribute its item wording without that permission.
Is the STAI reliable?
Validation studies report Cronbach's α of 0.9–0.92. See the reliability section for the population studied and full statistics.
Who developed the STAI, and how do I cite it?
Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P. R., Jacobs, G. A. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y). Consulting Psychologists Press.
Permission required
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Related scales
Library entry verified July 2026. Metadata is provided for reference; item wording is available inside Folio Surveyor, subject to each instrument's licensing.