Measure of anxiety in selection interviews: An Italian validation of the Performance Anxiety Scale

According to McCarthy and Goffin (2004), selection interview anxiety (SIA) is expressed by feelings of nervousness or apprehension that are relatively stable within job applicants across employment interview situations and can be organized into five distinct dimensions. These dimensions constitute the five scales of the Measure of Anxiety in Selection Interview (MASI) questionnaire. The principal aim of this study is to evaluate the Italian adaptation of one of the five scales of the MASI, namely the Performance Anxiety Scale, which is a short and efficient instrument consisting of six items. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 203 participants who reported having recently participated in at least one job interview. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the one-factor structure of the Performance Anxiety Scale, which also showed good reliability. Finally, the results confirmed some hypotheses derived from the literature about the scale’s relations with other constructs and gender differences.