scholarly journals Impact of Social Anxiety on Behavioral Mimicry During a Social Interaction With a Confederate

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayleigh A. Abbott ◽  
Nancy L. Kocovski ◽  
Sukhvinder S. Obhi
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Interaction Partner ◽  
Interpersonal Interaction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
High Social Anxiety ◽  
Behavioral Mimicry

Behavioral mimicry, the unintentional alteration of one's behavior to match that of an interaction partner, leads to many positive outcomes such as increased rapport. The current study examined the influence of social anxiety on mimicry behavior during a social interaction. Participants (N = 84), pre-screened for low and high social anxiety, participated in a face-to-face interaction with a confederate. Individuals with high social anxiety were less likely to mimic the movements of the confederate than individuals with low social anxiety. However, reduced mimicry behavior was only found during the portion of the experiment in which the confederate's movements were not planned, and not during the portion of the experiment in which the confederate made planned movements. Further, individuals with increased self-focused attention were also less likely to mimic during the portion of the experiment where the confederate's movements were not planned. Overall, results provide partial evidence to support the notion of reduced mimicry among individuals with high social anxiety. Future research can further evaluate the contexts in which those with high levels of social anxiety may mimic less, as well as factors that may play a role (e.g., self-focused attention), to enhance the probability of a positive interpersonal interaction for these individuals.

SOCIAL ANXIETY, SELF-FOCUSED ATTENTION, AND THE DISCRIMINATION OF NEGATIVE, NEUTRAL AND POSITIVE AUDIENCE MEMBERS BY THEIR NON-VERBAL BEHAVIOURS

2002 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Perowne ◽  
Warren Mansell
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Selective Attention ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Social Threat ◽  
Apparent Paradox ◽  
Socially Anxious ◽  
Anxiety Group ◽  
Threat Cues ◽  
High Social Anxiety

Recent research indicates the apparent paradox that social anxiety may be associated with both self-focused attention and selective attention to external social threat cues. A naturalistic paradigm was designed to explore both processes. High and low socially anxious individuals were asked to make a speech to a monitor displaying six people whom they believed to be watching them live. Two audience members exhibited only positive behaviours, two only neutral ones and two only negative behaviours. In contrast to the low social anxiety group who selectively discriminated positive audience members, the high social anxiety group selectively discriminated the negative individuals, yet they were no more accurate at discriminating the negative behaviours the audience members had performed and they reported more self-focused attention than the low social anxiety group. The effects remained while covarying for differences in dysphoria. The results indicate that socially anxious individuals base their judgements of being disapproved by others on limited processing of their social environment.

scholarly journals Self-Focused Attention and Post-Event Processing: Relevance to Social Performance Anxiety and Social Interaction Anxiety

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob B. Holzman ◽  
David P. Valentiner ◽  
Kathleen S. McCraw
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Performance Anxiety ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Event Processing ◽  
Social Interaction Anxiety ◽  
High Standards ◽  
Interaction Anxiety

This study examined the roles of self-focused attention and post-event processing in social performance anxiety and social interaction anxiety. College students (N = 101) completed measures of social performance anxiety, social interaction anxiety, self-focused attention, post-event processing, and beliefs related to social anxiety. Interoceptive self-focused attention and post-event processing predicted social performance anxiety after controlling for social interaction anxiety. The associations with social interaction anxiety were not significant after controlling for social performance anxiety. Associations of behavioral self-focused attention with social performance anxiety and social interaction anxiety were not significant after controlling for interoceptive self-focused attention. No evidence of an interaction between self-focused attention and post-event processing in the prediction of social anxiety was found. This study found no evidence that the associations of interoceptive self-focused attention and post-event processing with social performance anxiety were statistically mediated by high standards, conditional beliefs about self, and unconditional beliefs about self. These results and their theoretical implications are discussed.

The Role of Social Anxiety in Social Interaction Difficulties

1977 ◽  
Vol 131 (6) ◽  
pp. 610-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roisin Hall ◽  
David Goldberg
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Problem Behaviour ◽  
Socially Anxious ◽  
Common Complaint ◽  
High Social Anxiety

Social anxiety was found to be the most common complaint in a sample of psychiatric patients reporting social interaction difficulties. High social anxiety was shown to be associated with impairments to social behaviour in socially anxious psychiatric patients and non-psychiatric volunteers. A comparison was made of systematic desensitization and a form of social skills training in the treatment of social interaction difficulties associated with high social anxiety. This indicated that while both therapies were effective in the reduction of social anxiety, the training programme was the more effective in reducing problem behaviour, but desensitization appeared to lead to a wider generalization of improvement as indicated by increases in social participation.

scholarly journals Speech and Anxiety Management With Persistent Stuttering: Current Status and Essential Research

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Robyn Lowe ◽  
Ross Menzies ◽  
Mark Onslow ◽  
Ann Packman ◽  
Sue O'Brian
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Safety Behavior ◽  
Anxiety Management ◽  
Current Evidence Base ◽  
Treatment Procedures

Purpose The purpose of this review article is to provide an overview of the current evidence base for the behavioral management of stuttering and associated social anxiety. Method We overview recent research about stuttering and social anxiety in the context of contemporary cognitive models of social anxiety disorder. That emerging evidence for self-focused attention and safety behavior use with those who stutter is considered in relation to current treatment approaches for stuttering: speech restructuring and social anxiety management. Results The emerging information about social anxiety and stuttering suggests a conflict between the two clinical approaches. For those clients who wish to control their stuttering and where speech restructuring is deemed the most suitable approach, it is possible that speech restructuring may (a) induce or increase self-focused attention, (b) promote the use of safety behaviors, and (c) become a safety behavior itself. This conflict needs to be explored further within clinical and research contexts. Conclusions The issues raised in this review article are complex. It appears that evidence-based speech treatment procedures are in conflict with current best-practice treatment procedures that deal with social anxiety. In this review article, we propose directions for future research to inform the development of improved treatments for those who stutter and recommendations for interim clinical management of stuttering.

scholarly journals Social Media and Social skills

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prabhakararao Sampathirao
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
High Social Anxiety ◽  
Media Preference ◽  
Technological Communication ◽  
Internet And Social Media

Constant engagement of children with social media deprives them of face-face to face contacts and hence opportunities to practice social skills in real time situations. Technological Communication (internet and social media) preference strongly correlated with poor social skills and high social anxiety, while a greater restriction of technology in youth correlated with high social skills. One of the “benefits” advocated over and again by experts in various fields is that social media actually increases and supports the development of social skills. However, technological Communication (internet and social media) preference strongly correlated with poor social skills and high social anxiety, while a greater restriction of technology in youth correlated with high social skills in college. In this study the following five popular benefits from social media that were highlighted over and again, have been examined critically to show the reverse is true.

Self-image and self-focused attention in a social interaction situation: what is relevant for social anxiety?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Yasemin Meral ◽  
Noortje Vriends
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Real Time ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Strong Influence ◽  
Cognitive Model ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Socially Anxious ◽  
Self Image ◽  
A Current

Abstract Background: According to Clark and Wells’ cognitive model (Clark and Wells, 1995), social anxiety is maintained by both a negative self-image and self-focused attention (SFA). Although these maintaining factors were investigated extensively in previous studies, the direction of this relationship remains unclear, and so far, few studies have investigated self-image and SFA together within a current social interaction situation. Aims: The aim of this experiment is to investigate the influence of a negative versus positive self-image on social anxiety and on SFA during a social interaction. Method: High (n = 27) and low (n = 36) socially anxious participants, holding a manipulated negative versus positive self-image in mind, had a real-time video conversation with a confederate. Social anxiety, SFA and state anxiety before and during the conversation were measured with questionnaires. Results: An interaction between negative self-image and social anxiety showed that high socially anxious individuals with a negative self-image in mind were more anxious than those with a positive self-image in mind during the conversation. They were also more anxious compared with low socially anxious individuals. Furthermore, high socially anxious individuals reported higher SFA; however, SFA was not affected by negative or positive self-image. Conclusion: The present results confirm once again the strong influence of self-image and SFA on social anxiety, highlighting that a negative self-image has more impact on socially anxious individuals. Moreover, the present results suggest that SFA is not necessarily affected by a negative self-image, indicating that therapies should focus on both.

scholarly journals Ansiedad social subclínica en adultos jóvenes sanos: cortisol y ansiedad subjetiva en respuesta a estrés agudo

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 432-439
Author(s):  
Marcos Mirete ◽  
Sergio Molina ◽  
Carolina Villada ◽  
Vanesa Hidalgo ◽  
Alicia Salvadoir
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Psychosocial Stressor ◽  
Socially Anxious ◽  
High Social Anxiety ◽  
Cortisol Release ◽  
Post Stress

No existe consenso sobre el patrón de liberación de cortisol y su relación con la ansiedad subjetiva en situaciones de estrés en población con ansiedad social. Nuestro objetivo fue determinar la respuesta de cortisol y ansiedad subjetiva en individuos con ansiedad social sometidos a un estresor psicosocial agudo. 26 universitarios (58.6% hombres), edad media = 21.62 ± 0.43, fueron expuestos a la versión estrés o control del Maastricht Acute Stress Test. El cortisol salival y la ansiedad subjetiva fueron medidos antes, durante y post-estrés. Los participantes mostraron un incremento en los niveles de cortisol durante las fases de estrés y post-estrés, con una respuesta significativamente mayor en aquellos con ansiedad social. Los participantes con alta ansiedad social mostraron, a nivel muestral, mayores niveles de ansiedad subjetiva, especialmente post-estrés. Sólo en la fase de estrés, el cortisol y la ansiedad subjetiva correlacionaron significativamente en los participantes socialmente ansiosos. Los hallazgos apoyan una hiperresponsividad de cortisol en población no clínica y joven con alta ansiedad social. Futuras investigaciones deberían estudiar los factores involucrados y efectos de esta respuesta fisiológica en la salud. Asimismo, se resalta la necesidad de controlar la ansiedad social en experimentos que utilicen un estresor psicosocial de laboratorio. There is no consensus about the pattern of cortisol release and its relationship with subjective anxiety in situations of stress in the population with social anxiety. Our aim was to determine the cortisol and subjective anxiety response in individuals with social anxiety subjected to an acute psychosocial stressor. 26 college students (58.6% males), mean age = 21.62 ± 0.43, were exposed to the stress or control adaptation of the Maastricht Acute Stress Test. Salivary cortisol and subjective anxiety were measured before, during, and after stress. Participants showed an increase in cortisol levels during the stress and post-stress phases, with a significantly higher response in those with high social anxiety. Participants with high social anxiety also showed, as a tendency, higher levels of subjective anxiety, especially in the post-stress phase. Only in the stress phase, cortisol and subjective anxiety correlated significantly in socially anxious participants. The findings support a cortisol hyperresponsiveness in a young, non-clinical population with high social anxiety. Future research should focus on the factors involved and the effects of this physiological response on health. Furthermore, the need to control social anxiety in experiments using a laboratory psychosocial stressor is highlighted.

scholarly journals Facebook: Social Uses and Anxiety - A Replication Attempt

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Sillence ◽  
Tamsin Saxton ◽  
Thomas Victor Pollet
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Significant Positive Association ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Replication Studies ◽  
Facebook Use ◽  
High Social Anxiety ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Social Uses

The relationship between social media use and mental health remains under scrutiny by researchers, policy makers, and the general public. Recently, researchers have addressed whether or not Facebook use is beneficial to people with high social anxiety. The findings from such studies are mixed, in part due to differences in how variables are operationalised. A study by McCord et al (McCord, B., Rodebaugh, T. L., & Levinson, C. A., 2014. Facebook: Social uses and anxiety. Computers in Human Behavior, 34, 23-27) suggested that the inclusion of a new variable, Facebook-centric social anxiety, helps explain the complex relationship between general social anxiety and frequency of usage of socially-interactive Facebook features. We undertook two replication studies (N=202; N=542) of McCord et al (2014), using the original three measures (general social anxiety, frequency of usage of socially-interactive Facebook features, and Facebook-centric social anxiety). Both replication studies corroborated the correlational findings of the original study. We found a significant positive association between general social anxiety and Facebook-centric social anxiety. However, we did not find evidence that general social anxiety and Facebook-centric social anxiety interacted to predict frequency of usage of socially-interactive Facebook features. We discuss the implications for future research on social Facebook use.

Attentional Bias Among Adolescents Who Stutter: Evidence for a Vigilance–Avoidance Effect

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 3349-3363
Author(s):  
Naomi H. Rodgers ◽  
Jennifer Y. F. Lau ◽  
Patricia M. Zebrowski
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Attentional Bias ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Cutoff Score ◽  
Attentional Disengagement ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Facial Stimuli ◽  
The Social ◽  
Attentional Engagement ◽  
High Social Anxiety

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine group and individual differences in attentional bias toward and away from socially threatening facial stimuli among adolescents who stutter and age- and sex-matched typically fluent controls. Method Participants included 86 adolescents (43 stuttering, 43 controls) ranging in age from 13 to 19 years. They completed a computerized dot-probe task, which was modified to allow for separate measurement of attentional engagement with and attentional disengagement from facial stimuli (angry, fearful, neutral expressions). Their response time on this task was the dependent variable. Participants also completed the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) and provided a speech sample for analysis of stuttering-like behaviors. Results The adolescents who stutter were more likely to engage quickly with threatening faces than to maintain attention on neutral faces, and they were also more likely to disengage quickly from threatening faces than to maintain attention on those faces. The typically fluent controls did not show any attentional preference for the threatening faces over the neutral faces in either the engagement or disengagement conditions. The two groups demonstrated equivalent levels of social anxiety that were both, on average, very close to the clinical cutoff score for high social anxiety, although degree of social anxiety did not influence performance in either condition. Stuttering severity did not influence performance among the adolescents who stutter. Conclusion This study provides preliminary evidence for a vigilance–avoidance pattern of attentional allocation to threatening social stimuli among adolescents who stutter.

Face to Face Social Interaction and Inferior Frontal Processing

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy I. Skipper ◽  
Howard C. Nusbaum ◽  
Steven L. Small
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Face To Face
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