INTRODUCTION: The Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE) is aimed at evaluating the fear of social evaluations in adults. Its cross-cultural adaptation is the first step for future comparisons regarding the construct measured by the instrument in different populations. The objective of the present study is to semantically adapt the FNE to Brazilian Portuguese. METHOD: The process consisted of 1) two translations and back-translations carried out by independent evaluators without any prior knowledge of the scale to be translated; 2) development of a brief version by two different bilingual experts in mental health; 3) subsequent administration to an experimental group to evaluate the items in the brief version, seeking to better match the population to which the scale is intended. RESULTS: The four stages of the process are shown for each one of the 30 items of the instrument. The use of two translations and back-translations allowed a broader discussion about the design of the brief version. The participation of experts in mental health contributed to the appropriateness of the terms used for the construct measured. The experimental administration of the instrument allowed the identification of potential difficulties regarding the clarity of specific items in some of the population samples and subsequent performance of adjustments. CONCLUSIONS: We were able to elaborate the Brazilian Portuguese version of the FNE by means of this methodology.
Scales; psychometry; anxiety; anxiety disorders
