An Examination of the Construct Validity of the Social Anhedonia Scale

Two studies bearing on the construct validity of the Social Anhedonia Scale (S A) are reported. Study 1 reported convergent validity coefficients between, the SA scale and numerous measures of traits reflecting a generalized attitude toward others (e.g., social interest and empathy) as well as several traits reflecting maladjustment without a social component as a test of discriminant validity (e.g., pessimism and rigidity). Study 1 found impressive convergent validity for the SA scale and mixed discriminant validity. Study 2 found that the SA scale was related to two dimensions of striving for security, one of which is strongly influenced by-negative interpersonal tendencies, suggesting support for the validity of the SA scale. Implications for the measurement and concept of social anhedonia are presented.