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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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In the citing paper
“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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The Current State of Cognitive Therapy: A 40-Year Retrospective
Beck, A. T. (2005) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.9.953 · Cited by 816
Clark, D. M., Ehlers, A., Hackmann, A., McManus, F., Fennell, M., Grey, N., Waddington, L., & Wild, J. (2006) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.74.3.568 · Cited by 603
Self-citationSocial Anxiety and Social Anxiety Disorder
Morrison, A. S., & Heimberg, R. G. (2013) · Annual Review of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185631 · Cited by 480
Imagery rescripting in cognitive behaviour therapy: Images, treatment techniques and outcomes
Holmes, E. A., Arntz, A., & Smucker, M. R. (2007) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2007.10.007 · Cited by 465
“…& Michael, 2004), bipolar disorder (Mansell & Lam, 2004), depression (Gilbert & Irons, 2004), psychosis (Morrison, 2004), and social phobia (Hirsch et al., 2004; Stopa & Bryant, 2004), as well as for the first time imagery in agoraphobia (Day, Holmes, & Hackmann, 2004), body dysmorphic…”
BackgroundA Cognitive Behavioral Model of Social Anxiety Disorder
Heimberg, R. G., Brozovich, F. A., & Rapee, R. M. (2010) · Social Anxiety · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-375096-9.00015-8 · Cited by 407
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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