Social Anxiety, Fear of Negative Evaluation, and Distress in a Virtual Reality Environment

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Rannveig Sigurvinsdottir ◽  
Karen Soring ◽  
Karen Kristinsdottir ◽  
Sveinn Gunnar Halfdanarson ◽  
Kamilla R. Johannsdottir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Fear Of Negative Evaluation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Virtual Reality Environment ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
Treatment Target ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract According to cognitive theories of social anxiety, fear of negative evaluation (FNE) may be the mechanism whereby social anxiety induces distress. However, studying this can be challenging, as individuals with social anxiety may be reluctant to enter anxiety-provoking social situations, such as speaking in front of others. The present study used virtual reality (VR) to examine if giving a presentation in front of a virtual audience induced distress among undergraduate students and to test the hypothesis that FNE would mediate the relationship between social anxiety and distress. University students (N = 58, 70% female) entered a VR environment where they stood in front of a virtual audience and gave a short, impromptu presentation about their university. Participants also completed self-report measures of social anxiety, FNE, and distress (estimated before, during, and after VR). Distress and FNE had positive relationships with social anxiety and FNE fully mediated the relationship between social anxiety and distress. As far as we are aware, this is the first VR study to show this effect. The findings indicate that FNE could be a useful treatment target to reduce distress when presenting in front of an audience, either in VR or in person.

scholarly journals Fear of Negative Evaluation and Social Anxiety in Young Adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amna Iqbal ◽  
Amna Ajmal
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Fear Of Negative Evaluation ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Post Graduate ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale ◽  
Males And Females

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the brief fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety in young adults. Sample of 230 young adults (110=males, 120=females)was taken from different departments of Bahaudin Zakriya University Multan. The study aimed to check the correlation between fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety and differences in fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety among males and females as well as among undergraduate and post graduate students. Brief fear of negative evaluation scale (Leary, M. R., 1983) and Liebowitz social anxiety scale (Michael R. Liebowitz, 1987) was used. Findings revealed positive correlation between social anxiety and Brief fear of negative evaluation. The study concluded that fear of negative evaluation produce social anxiety in young adults (university students). Independent t test confirmed the significant difference among male, females as well as among undergraduate and post graduate on these two variables. Female students showed more fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety than male students; similarly, undergraduate students showed more social anxiety.

scholarly journals Moderation effect of emotion regulation on the relationship between social anxiety, drinking motives and alcohol related problems among university students

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sojung Kim ◽  
Jung-Hye Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
University Students ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Fear Of Negative Evaluation ◽  
Moderation Effect ◽  
Difficulties In Emotion Regulation ◽  
Physiological Symptoms ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems

Abstract Background: Accumulated evidence suggests that individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) are at particular risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD). Yet, little is known about the mechanisms under this high comorbidity. This study aimed to elucidate the process of the development of alcohol related problems among individuals with elevated social anxiety. We investigated the moderation effect of difficulties in emotion regulation on the relationship between symptoms of social anxiety, coping and conformity motives and alcohol related problems. Methods: In a sample of university students (N = 647) in South Korea, we examined whether cognitive (fear of negative evaluation), behavioral (social avoidance), and physiological symptoms (concerns over physiological symptoms) of social anxiety affect alcohol related problems with the mediation of coping and conformity motives. Furthermore, difficulties in emotion regulation were hypothesized to moderate each mediational path. Results: Results showed that the fear of negative evaluation and concerns over physiological symptoms were associated with alcohol related problems with the mediation of conformity and coping motives, respectively. As hypothesized, each path was moderated by difficulties in emotion regulation. Conclusions: Findings suggest that coping and conformity motives to cope with cognitive and physiological symptoms of social anxiety were related to alcohol related problems. In addition, individuals with high levels of difficulties in emotion regulation were prone to exhibit more alcohol related problems.

scholarly journals Self-report questionnaires, behavioral assessment tasks, and an implicit behavior measure: do they predict social anxiety in everyday life?

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel L. Kampmann ◽  
Paul M.G. Emmelkamp ◽  
Nexhmedin Morina
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Behavioral Assessment ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Assessment Tasks ◽  
Implicit Approach ◽  
Approach Avoidance

Social anxiety is commonly assessed with self-report measures. This study aimed to investigate whether maximum anxiety levels during in vivo and virtual reality behavioral assessment tasks (BATs), and implicit approach-avoidance tendencies during the approach-avoidance task (AAT) explain more variation as predictors of daily social anxiety than self-report measures. A total of 62 university students (Mage = 20.79; SD = 4.91) with high levels of social anxiety completed self-report measures on fear of negative evaluation (FNE-B) as well as fear and avoidance in social situations (Liebowitz social anxiety scale-self report), in vivo and virtual reality BATs, and the AAT (independent variables) in the laboratory. On seven consecutive days, social anxiety, experiential avoidance, and negative social events (dependent variables) were assessed. The results revealed that fear of negative evaluation predicted everyday social anxiety and experiential avoidance. Fear and avoidance in social situations only predicted experiential avoidance. Neither implicit approach-avoidance tendencies during the AAT nor maximum anxiety levels during the in vivo and virtual reality BATs predicted any outcome variable. Our results support the use of self-report questionnaires in the assessment of social anxiety.

The Safety Bias: Risk-Avoidance and Social Anxiety Pathology

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn N. Lorian ◽  
Jessica R. Grisham
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Behavioural Inhibition ◽  
Global Risk ◽  
Risk Avoidance ◽  
Bias Risk ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractBackground:The pervasive tendency to avoid perceived risks has been recently implicated in the maintenance of anxiety pathology, and more specifically, social phobia. Social anxiety symptoms are thus hypothesised to be associated with a global risk-avoidant decision-making bias.Aim:This study investigated: (1) the relationship between risk-avoidance and social anxiety symptoms using both self-report and behavioural measures of risk-taking; and (2) whether risk-avoidance mediates the relationship between a dispositional vulnerability to anxiety (Behavioural Inhibition System [BIS] sensitivity) and social anxiety symptoms.Method:Fifty-five undergraduate students completed self-report measures assessing for social anxiety symptoms, risk-taking across various domains, and BIS sensitivity. Risk-avoidance was also assessed using a behavioural computer task.Results:As hypothesised, risk-avoidance correlated significantly with both social anxiety and BIS. Multiple regression analyses revealed that risk-avoidance served as a partial mediator between BIS and social anxiety.Conclusion:These results confirm the hypothesised relationship between BIS, risk-avoidance, and social anxiety symptoms. Risk-avoidance is one possible mechanism by which personality characteristics may be linked to anxiety pathology.

scholarly journals The Ratio of Personal and Reactive Anxiety in the Psychological Status of Stuttering Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
E. E. Shevtsova ◽  
L. A. Tarasova ◽  
T. B. Filicheva ◽  
T. V. Tumanova
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Speech Therapy ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Fear Of Negative Evaluation ◽  
Psychological Characteristics ◽  
Psychological Status ◽  
Reactive Anxiety ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction. The article is devoted to the problem of studying the psychological characteristics of patients with stuttering. A theoretical review of classical and modern approaches to the study of the personality of stammerers and their social and communication skills is presented. The results of an experimental study determining the relationship between social and communicative abilities and indicators of personal and reactive anxiety of stuttering patients are presented. The significance of the results obtained for building and implementing the work of an interdisciplinary team of specialists is determined.Materials and Methods. The following methods were used when writing the article: theoretical analysis of domestic and foreign literature sources; generalization and systematization of the results of studying the personal sphere of stuttering patients; experimental methods for studying the socio-communicative and psychological characteristics of patients with stuttering; methods of statistical processing of experimental data.Results. A variety of approaches to the study of personal characteristics of persons with stuttering is considered. In the course of studying the literature sources, the relationship between the state of the emotional and personal sphere and the communicative and speech capabilities of patients with stuttering was revealed, which was later confirmed when analyzing the results of the empirical part of the study. Data analysis showed that the level of social anxiety and fear of negative evaluation (the severity of social phobia) in patients with stuttering is several times higher than normal and correlates with the rigidity of fixation on a speech defect. The study revealed invariant and variable components in the structure of social and communicative maladaptation of patients with stuttering. Among the invariant components, we attributed the presence of high social anxiety (social distress, avoidance, and fear of negative evaluation) in combination with a maladaptive system of social attitudes characteristic of most stutterers. Variable components include individual characteristics of situational anxiety and socio-psychological characteristics of difficult communication, which are personalized.Discussion and Conclusions. The conducted study allowed to conclude that the difficulties and peculiarities of socio-communicative functioning of patients with stuttering need to determine the design of hierarchically structured pedagogical model of speech therapy effects that take into account the fixed and variable components in the structure of socio-communicative maladjustment and differentiate rehabilitative effect in the context of algorithmizing and personalized approach to speech therapy.

scholarly journals Moderation effect of emotion regulation on the relationship between social anxiety, drinking motives and alcohol related problems among university students

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sojung Kim ◽  
Jung-Hye Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
University Students ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Fear Of Negative Evaluation ◽  
Moderation Effect ◽  
Difficulties In Emotion Regulation ◽  
Physiological Symptoms ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems

Abstract Background: Accumulated evidence suggests that individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) are at particular risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD). Yet, little is known about the mechanisms under this high comorbidity. This study aimed to elucidate the process of the development of alcohol related problems among individuals with elevated social anxiety. We examined the moderation effect of difficulties in emotion regulation on the relationship between cognitive-behavioral-physiological symptoms of social anxiety, coping and conformity motives and alcohol related problems. Methods: In a sample of university students (N = 647) in South Korea, the proposed model in which cognitive (fear of negative evaluation)-behavioral (social avoidance)-physiological symptoms (concerns over physiological symptoms) were supposed to affect alcohol related problems with the mediation of coping and conformity motives was tested. Furthermore, difficulties in emotion regulation were hypothesized to moderate each mediational path. Results: Results showed that the fear of negative evaluation and concerns over physiological symptoms predicted alcohol related problems with the mediation of conformity and coping motives, respectively. As hypothesized, each path was moderated by difficulties in emotion regulation. Conclusions: Findings suggest that coping and conformity motives to cope with cognitive and physiological symptoms of social anxiety were related to alcohol related problems. In addition, individuals with high levels of difficulties in emotion regulation were prone to exhibit more alcohol related problems.

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