Somatic Anxiety Symptoms

What it measures

Seven items measure how often a person experiences somatic symptoms of anxiety — including rapid heartbeat, dry mouth, breathing difficulties, and trembling — most likely in response to stress. Adapted for consumer research from a clinical anxiety scale.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree)

Scale items

• I am often aware of the action of my heart in the absence of physical exertion (e.g., heart racing, skipping a beat).
• I often experience dryness in my mouth.
• I often experience difficulty breathing (e.g., excessively rapid breathing, breathlessness in the absence of physical exertion).
• I often experience trembling (e.g., in the hands).

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Adapted from Lovibond and Lovibond (1995). The scale was used to examine anxiety as a component of wellbeing in the context of materialism research. Only 4 of the 7 items were available in the source material reviewed; researchers should consult Burroughs and Rindfleisch (2002) for the complete 7-item set before use.

Citation

Burroughs, J. E., & Rindfleisch, A. (2002). Materialism and well-being: A conflicting values perspective. Journal of Consumer Research, 29(December), 348–370.

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