Psychometric evaluation of the Iranian version of brief fear of negative evaluation scale-straightforward item (BFNE-S): A validation study

Background: The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale-Straightforward Item (BFNE-S) is an internationally recognized tool for measuring fear of negative evaluation. The current investigation was designed to assess the reliability and validity of the Persian version of BFNE-S in a non-clinical sample in Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of university students. They completed the Iranian version of the BFNE-S and the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). Internal consistency was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Validity was examined using known groups comparison to test how well the questionnaire differentiates between subgroups of the study sample that differed in gender. In addition convergent validity was performed to examine the correlation between the BFNE-S and scores derived from the SPIN. Furthermore, the structural validity of the questionnaire was examined by performing confirmatory factor analysis using the LISREL 8.8 software. Results: A total of 150 university students participated in the study. The results obtained from reliability analysis indicated that the Iranian version of the BFNE-S had desirable internal consistency. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.89. Satisfactory discriminant and convergent validity of the questionnaire also were established. The BFNE-S score was significantly higher in female respondents compared to male respondents as hypothesized (P = 0.008). The BFNE-S was correlated to the Iranian version of the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) in the expected direction (r = 0.58, P <0.001). The confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit to data lending support to its original one-dimensional structure. Conclusion: The findings indicated that the Iranian version of the BFNE-S was a valid measure of fear of negative evaluation. Since the scale showed a unitary factor structure, the theoretical basis for the BFNE-S is confirmed.