The role of shame and self-criticism in social anxiety: a daily diary study in a nonclinical sample
Abstract
We sought to explore the daily association between shame and self-criticism, and the extent to which this association varies as a function of social anxiety symptoms. Fifty-nine undergraduate students completed a measure of social anxiety symptoms at a baseline meeting and then completed measures of shame experienced during significant social interactions and self-criticism following those interactions twice daily for 10 days. Social anxiety symptoms predicted more shame during daily social interactions and more self-criticism following them. Additionally, shame predicted subsequent self-criticism. This relationship was moderated by levels of social anxiety symptoms, such that those with higher levels of social anxiety symptoms exhibited high levels of self-criticism following daily social interactions characterized by both high and low shame, whereas those with lower levels of social anxiety symptoms showed high levels of self-criticism only after interactions with high levels of shame. These findings are consistent with the notion that self-criticism may serve as a regulatory coping method when experiencing shame, and that social anxiety difficulties are related to an inflexibly high level of self-criticism.
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A daily diary study of college students showed that social anxiety symptom severity predicted higher shame during significant social interactions among college students.
“For example, a daily diary study of college students showed that social anxiety symptom severity predicted higher shame during significant social interactions among college students (95).”
General decreases in shame should reduce the accessibility of negative self-imagery and the tendency to engage in self-critical rumination in response to stressful social events, both of which appear to serve as maintaining factors in SAD.
“For instance, general decreases in shame should reduce the accessibility of negative self-imagery (103) and the tendency to engage in self-critical rumination in response to stressful social events (95, 96, 104), both of which appear to serve as maintaining factors in SAD.”
Self-criticism is a key internal shame-avoidance strategy in SAD.
“Self-criticism is a key internal shame-avoidance strategy in SAD (95, 97).”
In a daily diary study, college students with higher social anxiety reported increased self-criticism following social events, regardless of the level of shame they experienced, whereas those low in social anxiety only endorsed self-criticism following high-shame interactions.
“For example, in a daily diary study, college students wither higher social anxiety reported increased self-criticism following social events, regardless of the level of shame they experienced, whereas those low in social anxiety only endorsed self-criticism following high-shame interactions (95).”
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References 53 · Cited by 32
- Authors
- Lazarus, G., & Shahar, B.
- Affiliations
- Bar-Ilan University (IL)
- Venue
- Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology
- Publisher
- Guilford Publications
- Published
- 2018-02
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 107-127
- ISSN
- 0736-7236 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2793775675
- Cited by
- 32
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 2.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- shame, self-criticism, social anxiety, social interaction, coping, non-clinical sample, undergraduate students, moderation
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