Category: social anxiety research
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WHY DO CERTAIN PEOPLE EXPERIENCE HIGH ANXIETY IN SOCIAL SETTINGS?
In the realm of human interactions, social encounters can trigger varying degrees of nervousness. This phenomenon often puzzles us, especially when considering individuals with seemingly poor social skills or harboring negative self-evaluations. Shedding light on this complexity is the self-presentation theory—a conceptual framework striving to unveil why certain people experience heightened anxiety in social settings.…
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DO SAFETY BEHAVIORS IN SOCIAL ANXIETY SABOTAGE EXPOSURE THERAPY?
In the mid-90s, a study highlighted the nuances of exposure therapy in the context of social phobia, shedding light on the concept of “safety behaviors.” These behaviors act as crutches, allowing individuals to engage in exposure while mitigating excessive anxiety. Take, for instance, someone with a fear of conversing with strangers; they might opt to…
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EYE CONTACT AS BODY LANGUAGE
Eye contact serves a social function, which includes creating intimacy and showing social competence. In social anxiety, however, it is a source of anxiety leading the individual to avert direct gaze What is less known is that eye contact is typically averted in situations where there is a high cognitive load (i.e., cognition refers to…
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IS A CHILD’S SILENCE DURING SOCIAL SITUATIONS A SIGN OF SOCIAL ANXIETY?
Selective mutism (SM) refers to the child’s and/or adolescents’ persistent inability to speak in certain social situations, even though they are perfectly able to speak and understand language. SM has been linked to an extreme form of social anxiety, and thus it is proposed that anxiety could be a contributing factor in the etiology (i.e.,…
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DOES OXYTOCIN IMPROVE SYMPTOMS OF SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER?
Oxytocin, the love hormone, can help reduce fear-related symptoms in generalized social anxiety disorder.
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HOW DO SIGNS OF SOCIAL EXCLUSION INFLUENCE SOCIAL ANXIETY?
In social anxiety there is a tendency to pay particular attention to cues signaling social disapproval. However, if the person perceives signs of social disapproval, they may start looking for passive signs of social approval elsewhere to compensate for the feeling of rejection.
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DOES COMPETITIVENESS IN SOCIETY CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIAL ANXIETY?
Competitive societies increase the likelihood of having low self-esteem and developing an inferiority complex, which in turn could contribute to social anxiety.
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IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL ANXIETY AND POOR READING COMPREHENSION?
Finding out what the relationship between social anxiety and low academic scores in children is by looking into reading comprehension.
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ARE SOCIALLY ANXIOUS INDIVIDUALS AFRAID OF RECEIVING POSITIVE EVALUATIONS?
Social anxiety is not just about being uncomfortable with positive evaluation, it is also about being afraid of receiving positive evaluations.
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IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE RELEVANT IN SOCIAL PHOBIA?
The interpersonal and intrapersonal domains of emotional intelligence are relevant factors in understanding social phobia.