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Questionnaire for Assessing Stable Forms of Self-Focused Attention (SAF)

Questionnaire for Assessing Stable Forms of Self-Focused Attention (SAF) Test

Understand how much you track your thoughts and how others see you in about 6 minutes. Get clear self-insight from 29 items to support counseling, self-esteem work, and personal growth.

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Questions: 296 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

14,138 views

954 completions

767 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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How the Scales are Structured

example score

24/36

Public Self-Focused Attention (PSFA)

Public Self-Attention measures how strongly you focus on aspects of yourself that are visible to others and how much you monitor how you are perceived.

Low

Moderate

High

9 – 18: Low | 19 – 27: Moderate | 28 – 36: High

A score of 24 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a balanced tendency to consider how you come across to others without being overly preoccupied with it.

example score

23/40

Personal Self-Focused Attention (PSA) (PSFA)

Personal Self-Attention reflects how strongly a person tends to focus on their inner experiences, thoughts, and feelings.

Low

Moderate

High

10 – 19: Low | 20 – 30: Moderate | 31 – 40: High

A score of 23 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a balanced tendency to notice and reflect on internal experiences without an especially strong inward focus.

example score

28/40

Social Fear (SF)

Assesses the degree of anxiety and insecurity a person experiences in social situations.

Low

Moderate

High

10 – 19: Low | 20 – 29: Moderate | 30 – 40: High

A score of 28 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting noticeable but not extreme discomfort or insecurity in social interactions.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Overthinkers and Self-Analysts

41%OF USERS

People who frequently monitor their thoughts and behavior take it to understand how strongly they habitually focus on their inner experience.

Socially Self-Conscious People

34%OF USERS

Those who worry about how they look or come across to others use it to gauge how much external evaluation drives their self-focus.

Clients in Counseling Work

25%OF USERS

People working on self-esteem, change readiness, or emotional regulation take it to clarify their stable self-attention patterns for therapy goals.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

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Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Public Self-Attention (PSA) (PS()

Average

16.2

Normal range

12.4 — 20.1

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Personal Self-Attention (PSA) (PS()

Average

30.4

Normal range

26.8 — 34.1

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Social Anxiety (SA) (SA()

Average

26.2

Normal range

20.9 — 31.6

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures stable self-attention, or how often attention is directed to personal thoughts, feelings, and actions. It also assesses attention to how one may appear to other people.

How should the statements be answered?

Rate each statement based on how well it describes typical behavior, not a single recent situation. Use the full range of response options when appropriate.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

Completion typically takes about 6 minutes. The questionnaire contains 29 statements.

What do the results represent?

Scores reflect the general tendency to monitor internal experiences and to focus on social evaluation. Results describe a pattern of attention rather than a diagnosis.

Who is this questionnaire intended for?

It is used in counseling and research settings to describe self-reflection and social self-focus. It can support work on self-esteem and readiness for change when interpreted by a qualified professional.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Questionnaire for Diagnosing Stable Forms of Self-Attention, SAF Test

Questionnaire for Assessing Stable Forms of Self-Focused Attention (SAF) Test - Symptoms and Signs

reflection

This self-report measure evaluates stable individual differences in self-focused attention, including the tendency to monitor internal experiences and awareness of how one is perceived by others. The Questionnaire for Assessing Stable Forms of Self-Focused Attention (SAF) is intended to support clinical and research understanding of dispositional self-reflective processes.

It consists of 29 items and typically requires about 6 minutes to complete. Responses are used to characterize patterns of self-attention that may be relevant to case formulation, treatment planning, and the assessment of self-consciousness-related traits in counseling or research contexts.

When interpreted alongside other clinical information, the Questionnaire for Assessing Stable Forms of Self-Focused Attention (SAF) can help clarify whether self-focused attention is predominantly inward (e.g., thoughts and feelings) or oriented toward external evaluation (e.g., concerns about others’ impressions).

Author: charles-s-carver, michael-f-scheier

Literature: Duval, S., & Wicklund, R. A. A theory of objective self awareness. Academic Press. 1972.; Merz, J. SAF: Fragebogen zur Messung von dispositioneller Selbstaufmerksamkeit. Diagnostica. 1986.

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