Exploring the Relationship Between Fear of Positive Evaluation and Social Anxiety: Mediating Role of Self-Focus.

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that fear of positive evaluation (FPE) is closely associated with social anxiety. However, studies examining the unique role of FPE and investigating the nature of the relationship between FPE and social anxiety are limited. This article presents two studies to address this gap. The first study (N = 314) examines the individual role of FPE on social anxiety while controlling for fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and maladaptive cognitions. The second study (N = 342) investigates the mediating role of self-focused attention in the relationship between FPE and social anxiety. Results of Study 1 demonstrated that FPE explains additional variances in social anxiety above and beyond FNE and maladaptive cognitions. Study 2 found that self-focus mediates the relationship between FPE and social anxiety when FNE is controlled. The current findings highlight the critical role of FPE on social anxiety and provide valuable information on how FPE contributes to social anxiety.