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Self-Focused Attention Scale (SFAS)

Self-Focused Attention Scale (SFAS) Test

Understand how strongly you focus on your own thoughts and feelings in about 3 minutes. With 11 items, it offers a fast, reliable snapshot to guide care and track change over time.

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Questions: 113 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

29,241 view

3,459 completions

3,025 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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How the Scales are Structured

example score

13/44

Self-Focused Attention (SFA)

Measures the tendency to focus attention on one’s own thoughts, feelings, and internal experiences.

Low self-focus

Moderate self-focus

High self-focus

0 – 10: Low self-focus | 11 – 28: Moderate self-focus | 29 – 44: High self-focus

A score of 13 falls in the Moderate self-focus range, suggesting a generally balanced attention to internal experiences without pronounced self-preoccupation.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Anxiety or low mood seekers

41%OF USERS

People who notice rumination, self-criticism, or anxiety/depressive symptoms and want to gauge how much their attention is stuck on themselves.

Therapy progress trackers

34%OF USERS

Clients in counseling who use a quick check-in between sessions to see whether self-focus is easing as treatment progresses.

Clinicians and researchers

25%OF USERS

Mental health professionals and study teams who need a brief measure to screen and monitor self-focused attention in groups or individuals.

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

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

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Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

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Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

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Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Self-Focus Attention Scale (SAS)

Average

21.2

Normal range

14.8 — 27.7

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 scale measure?

It measures the tendency to direct attention toward one’s own thoughts and feelings. Higher scores indicate more frequent self-focused attention.

How is self-focused attention related to mental health symptoms?

Elevated self-focus is commonly associated with increased rumination, negative self-evaluation, and emotional distress. It is often linked to anxiety and depressive symptoms.

How long does it take and what is the format?

Completion time is about 3 minutes. It includes 11 statements rated by agreement or disagreement.

How should items be answered?

Select the response that best reflects typical experience rather than a single recent event. Answer all items and avoid overthinking individual statements.

How are results used in practice or research?

Scores can support screening, case formulation, and monitoring change over time during treatment. Results should be interpreted alongside other clinical or research measures.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Self-Focused Attention Scale (SFAS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

self-awareness

This brief self-report measure assesses the degree to which an individual tends to direct attention toward internal thoughts, feelings, and self-evaluative processes. The Self-Focused Attention Scale (SFAS) is commonly used to characterize self-focused attentional style, which may be clinically relevant when considering symptoms of anxiety and depression.

It consists of 11 items and typically takes about 3 minutes to complete. Respondents rate their agreement with a set of statements, yielding an index of self-focused attention that may be used to support case formulation and track change over time.

In clinical and research contexts, the Self-Focused Attention Scale (SFAS) can be administered repeatedly to monitor shifts in attentional focus across treatment or other interventions. Results should be interpreted alongside other assessment data and the individual’s presenting concerns rather than as a stand-alone diagnostic indicator.

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

Literature: Ingram, R. E. Self-focused attention in clinical disorders: Review and a conceptual model. Psychological Bulletin. 1990.; Bögels, S. M., Alberts, M., & de Jong, P. J. Self-consciousness, self-focused attention, blushing propensity and fear of blushing. Personality and Individual Differences. 1996.

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