Self-focused attention before and after treatment of social phobia
Open accessAbstract
It has been hypothesized that effective psychological treatment for social phobia changes the person's representation of the self in a more positive direction. In order to test this hypothesis, we analyzed 506 thoughts that were endorsed by 23 social phobic individuals while anticipating socially stressful situations before and after exposure therapy. Treatment efficacy was assessed with the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) [Turner, S. M., Beidel, D. C., Dancu, C. V., & Stanley M. A. (1989) An empirically derived inventory to measure social fears and anxiety: the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 1, 35-40)]. Subjects endorsed significantly fewer negative self-focused thoughts after treatment (on average 8.7% of the thoughts) than before treatment (26.5%, p < 0.005). These changes were highly correlated with pre-post difference scores in the social phobia subscale of the SPAI (r = 0.74, p < 0.0001). Implications of the results for the cognitive model of social phobia will be discussed.
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If revealing the authentic self is less likely to trigger shame, then defensive self-focused attention may also be reduced, resulting in a decreased need to regulate shame through avoidant, self-critical processes.
“More broadly, if revealing the authentic self is less likely to trigger shame, then defensive self-focused attention may also be reduced (105–107), resulting in a decreased need to regulate shame through avoidant, self-critical processes.”
From MDMA-Assisted Therapy as a Means to Alter Affective, Cognitive, Behavioral, and Neurological Systems Underlying Social Dysfunction in Social Anxiety Disorder (2021) · cites this paper as [105]
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- Authors
- Hofmann, S. G.
- Affiliations
- Boston University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hofmann, Stefan G
- ORCID
- Hofmann, Stefan G
- Venue
- Behaviour Research and Therapy
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2000-07
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 717-725
- ISSN
- 0005-7967 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2089791884
- Cited by
- 137
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 11.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Behaviour Research and Therapy (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH-57326, R29MH057326)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- social anxiety disorder, self-focus, exposure therapy, self-representation, treatment efficacy, anticipatory anxiety
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Desensitization, Psychologic, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personality Assessment, Phobic Disorders, Psychotherapy, Group, Self Concept, Treatment Outcome
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