Social anxiety disorder is a mental health condition that affects 4.7% of Australians each year. The complex interplay between psychoevolutionary and cognitive models has become the focus of research in recent years, particularly with the development of the bivalent fear of evaluation model (i.e., negative and positive evaluation fears). The present study aimed to test a model of social anxiety symptoms using structural equation modelling, integrating previously fragmented evidence. A sample of 255 participants (75.3% female; Mage = 31.9, SD = 10.3) undertook an online survey, including Social Phobia Scale, Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation-Straightforward, Fear of Positive Evaluation, Concerns of Social Reprisal, and Disqualifications of Positive Social Outcomes measures. The hypothesised model for social anxiety symptoms described the data reasonably well (? 2 (1) = 4.917, p = .027, CFI = .995, GFI = .992, SRMR = .017), explaining 57.1% of social anxiety variance. Study hypotheses were supported with bivalent fear of evaluation accounting for unique variance in cognitive distortions, which in turn accounted for unique variation in social anxiety symptoms. Effect sizes indicate bivalent fears of evaluation and disqualification of positive social outcomes as important predictors of social anxiety symptoms. Although replication in a clinical cohort and experimental confirmation are needed, the findings suggest a focus on disqualification of positive social outcomes to alleviate social anxiety symptoms.
Exactly what This subject Contributes?
Impact versions suggest that the latest cognitive distortion disqualification away from self-confident public outcomes is a vital convertible predictor out of personal nervousness episodes.
Introduction
Public anxiety disorder (SAD) try a mental health topic where some one fear and you may survive having aches otherwise prevent personal items, instance societal communication or performances that erican Psychological Association, 2013 ). Unfortunate keeps a projected a dozen?week frequency off 4.7% (Australian Bureau from Analytics, 2007 ) and you may an existence frequency off a dozen% (Kessler ainsi que al., 2005 ). Those with Unfortunate are more than simply doubly probably deal with jobless compared to those with other anxiety disorders (Moitra, Mustache, Weisberg, Keller, 2011 ). Because of the impact away from Sad, you will need to see the hidden techniques that can dictate personal nervousness periods.
Societal stress traditionally has been defined as from the fling a beneficial concern with negative research (FNE) (Watson Buddy, 1969 ). The connection anywhere between Unfortunate and you will FNE might have been extensively served (Koci ; Menatti et al., 2015 ; Months, 2015 ; Weeks Howell, 2012 ; Yap, Gibbs, Francis, Schuster, 2016 ). The feeling of FNE could have been recognized as an inherited danger recognition system from our psychoevolutionary early in the day one to promotes us to modify behaviours in a manner that covers united states regarding societal damage, like a loss in accessibility group info due to different (Clark Wells, 1995 ; Gilbert, 2001 ). Thinking habits about FNE are theorised to help you elevate and you may perpetuate social nervousness symptoms (Rapee Heimberg, 1997 ).
Now, anxiety about positive testing (FPE) might have been sensed from inside the search, suggesting you to definitely FNE and you can FPE co?exists while the an effective bivalent anxiety about evaluation (BFOE), in which people anxiety research as a whole (Weeks Howell, 2014 ). The partnership ranging from Unfortunate and you may FPE has actually achieved broadening support from inside the recent years (Koci ; Menatti mais aussi al., 2015 ; Months, 2015 ; Days Howell, 2012 ; Yap mais aussi al., 2016 ). While FNE is worried having a bad shift into the review, FPE is concerned which have a positive change within the evaluation. An impression regarding FPE could have been considered as a hereditary danger recognition program one to motivates avoidant habits towards are examined as well favourably, so you can reduce the chance of signalling problem and inadvertently entering into so many disagreement or competition (Trower Gilbert, 1989 ; Months Howell, 2014 ). The latest considering models surrounding BFOE have not yet started resolved (Heimberg, Brozovich, Rapee, 2010 ), as they are the main focus associated with paper.