The DOI matches its Crossref record.
Negative self-imagery in social anxiety contaminates social interactions
Abstract
Patients with social phobia report experiencing negative images of themselves performing poorly when in feared social situations. The present study investigates whether such negative self-imagery (based on memory of past social situations) contaminates social interactions. High socially anxious volunteers participated in two conversations with another volunteer (conversational partner). During one conversation, the socially anxious volunteers held in mind a negative self-image, and during the other they held in mind a less negative (control) self-image. As predicted, when holding the negative image the socially anxious volunteers felt more anxious, reported using more safety behaviours, believed that they performed more poorly, and showed greater overestimation of how poorly they came across (relative to ratings by the conversational partner). Conversational partners rated the socially anxious volunteers' performance as poorer in the negative image condition. Furthermore, the conversation was contaminated since both groups of participants rated its quality as poorer in the negative image condition.
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“Although behaviors such as polite smiles, directing gaze downward, restricting speech in conversation, and speaking softly may serve to reduce anxiety in the moment, they have been associated with negative perceptions from observers and decreased willingness among peers to re-engage the individual in conversation in a lab setting, particularly in ambiguous social tasks (130–132).”
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 [130]
In the citing paper
“This negative impact on symptoms has been confirmed by empirical findings (e.g., Hirsch, Meynen, and Clark 2004).”
From Negative Flashforward Imagery in Adolescent Social Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot Study of Imagery Reports and a Short EMDR Intervention. (2024) · cites this paper as Hirsch, Meynen, and Clark 2004
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Items 201–214 of 214
محمد, د. إ. ص. ح. (2023) · Mağallaẗ Al-Tarbiyyaẗ wa Ṯaqāfiẗ Al-Ṯifl · doi:10.21608/jkfb.2023.338911
An Experimental Approach: Investigating the Directive Function of Autobiographical Memory
Duff, N. (2024) · Open Access Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka (Figshare) · doi:10.26686/wgtn.25567230
Brief Treatments for Social Anxiety Disorder
O’Shannessy, D. M. (2024) · CBT: science into practice · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-60746-2_10
Mangnus, M., Koch, S. B. J., Devillers, R., Peter Hagoort, A., Bašnáková, J., & Stolk, A. (2024) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2024.11.12.622970
Kasagi, Y. (2025) · The Japanese journal of psychology · doi:10.4992/jjpsy.96.23020
Geng, L., Feng, Q., Wang, X., Li, Y., & Qiu, J. (2025) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2025.106352
Changing the meaning of shameful memories through compassionate meditation
Dennington, L. (2012) · UCL Discovery (University College London)
Interpretation bias in emotional disorders: a selective review
Hirsch, C. R., & Mathews, A. (2025) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2025.104948 · Cited by 4
Self-citationTraité de régulation des émotions
André, C. (2012) · Carrefour des psychothérapies · doi:10.3917/dbu.mikol.2012.01.0527
Rizkiyani, F., Srisayekti, W., Fitriana, E., Kumalasari, A. D., & King, A. L. S. (2026) · Discover Psychology · doi:10.1007/s44202-026-00587-w
Altered Theory of Mind Engagement and Neural Alignment in Social Anxiety During Movie Viewing
Koch, S. B. J., Mangnus, M., Devillers, R., Peter Hagoort, A., Bašnáková, J., & Stolk, A. (2026) · Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science · doi:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2026.100721 · Cited by 1
“Based on prior evidence for negativity bias in SA (32,47), we predicted greater use of negatively valenced emotion language in participants’ plot summaries but no a priori group differences in autonomic arousal or pupil-linked attentional measures, given the nonevaluative nature of the paradigm.”
The Power of the Mind's Eye: Mental Imagery and Its Role in Social Anxiety
Alkhodair, G. A. (2026) · Counselling and Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1002/capr.70118
Burmeister, A., & Levin, D. Z. (2026) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2024.0635
Emotional imagery across psychopathology: A translational perspective for youth mental health
Lau‐Zhu, A., & DiSimplicio, M. (2026) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2026.102796
Metadata
- Authors
- Hirsch, C., Meynen, T., & Clark, D.
- Affiliations
- King's College London (GB)
- Venue
- Memory
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2004-07
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 496-506
- ISSN
- 0965-8211 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-0686
- OpenAlex
- W2164519397
- Cited by
- 216
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 9.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Memory (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (069777)
- 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 › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
- Keywords
- social anxiety, social anxiety disorder, self-image, safety behavior, performance anxiety, overestimation of performance, social interaction
- MeSH terms
- Analysis of Variance, Anxiety, Communication Barriers, Female, Humans, Imagination, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Psychology, Social, Surveys and Questionnaires, Safety, Self-Assessment, Self Concept, Social Behavior
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