Effects of Internal, External, and Neutral Attentional Allocation on Post-Event Processing in Social Anxiety

IF 2.8 3区 心理学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL
Alexandra M. Adamis, Sarah C. Jessup, Bunmi O. Olatunji
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose

Excessive attentional allocation towards threats has been theorized to play a maintaining role in social anxiety disorder (SAD). However, it is unclear if both heightened attentional focus towards internal threats (i.e., interoceptive signals of anxiety) and external threats (i.e., negative social-evaluative cues) are pathogenic. Further, evidence for the causal pathways by which biased attention maintains SAD is limited. The present study tested the effects of experimentally induced internally and externally oriented attention towards threats relative to a neutral control on state anxiety and post-event processing (PEP) in a highly socially anxious sample.

Methods

During an impromptu speech task, participants (N = 123) were randomized to allocating their attention to their own thoughts, actions, or body sensations (internal condition; n = 41), to an audience member’s reactions and evaluations (external condition; n = 42), or to a neutral object (control condition; n = 40). State anxiety and PEP were assessed immediately following the speech and 24 h later.

Results

Although no differences between the control condition and the external and internal conditions were observed, participants in the internal condition reported significantly higher state anxiety immediately after the speech and higher PEP 24 h later compared to the external condition. State anxiety immediately after the speech mediated heightened PEP 24 h later among the internal condition compared to the external condition.

Conclusions

Findings support the theorized maladaptive role of self-focused attention in the maintenance of SAD and suggest that attending internally may be more harmful than attending externally, despite the presence of socio-evaluative threats in the environment.

Abstract Image

内部、外部和中性注意分配对社交焦虑事件后处理的影响
目的 对威胁的过度注意分配被认为在社交焦虑症(SAD)中起着维持作用。然而,对内部威胁(即焦虑的内感知信号)和外部威胁(即消极的社会评价线索)的过度注意是否都是致病因素尚不清楚。此外,关于偏向性注意维持 SAD 的因果途径的证据还很有限。本研究测试了在高度社交焦虑的样本中,实验诱导的内部和外部导向的威胁注意相对于中性对照对状态焦虑和事件后处理(PEP)的影响。方法在即兴演讲任务中,参与者(人数 = 123)被随机分配到将注意力分配给自己的想法、行动或身体感觉(内部条件;人数 = 41)、听众的反应和评价(外部条件;人数 = 42)或中性对象(对照条件;人数 = 40)。结果虽然对照条件与外部条件和内部条件之间没有观察到差异,但与外部条件相比,内部条件下的参与者在演讲后立即报告的状态焦虑明显更高,24 小时后报告的 PEP 也更高。与外部条件相比,内部条件的参与者在演讲结束后立即表现出的状态焦虑介导了 24 小时后 PEP 的升高。结论研究结果支持了自我关注在维持 SAD 中的不良适应作用的理论,并表明尽管环境中存在社会评价威胁,但内部关注可能比外部关注更有害。
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来源期刊
Cognitive Therapy and Research
Cognitive Therapy and Research PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-
CiteScore
5.30
自引率
0.00%
发文量
52
期刊介绍: Cognitive Therapy and Research (COTR) focuses on the investigation of cognitive processes in human adaptation and adjustment and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It is an interdisciplinary journal welcoming submissions from diverse areas of psychology, including cognitive, clinical, developmental, experimental, personality, social, learning, affective neuroscience, emotion research, therapy mechanism, and pharmacotherapy.
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