Exposure therapy has received a great deal of support as an effective treatment for social anxiety. However, not all those who undergo exposure therapy improve, and some of those who do respond continue to report significant levels of symptoms. A theorized mechanism of change for exposure therapy is extinction learning. Extinction learning is believed to occur across exposure sessions during which new associations are formed and stored in memory. Individuals with social anxiety are prone to engage in post event processing (PEP), or rumination, after social experiences, which may interfere with extinction learning, and thus attenuate response to treatment. The current study examined whether PEP limits treatment response to two different exposure based treatments, a group based cognitive behavioral intervention and an individually based virtual reality exposure therapy among participants (n = 75) diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. The findings suggested that PEP decreased as a result of treatment and that social anxiety symptoms for those with greater amounts of PEP improved at a slower rate of change than those with lower levels of PEP. Implications for the role of PEP on treatment response are discussed.

Tyrime dalyvavo 74 Lietuvoje gyvenantys mikčiojantys asmenys nuo 17 iki 58 metų amžiaus (iš jų 38 vyrai ir 36 moterys) ir 74 nemikčiojantys asmenys nuo 18 iki 51 metų (37 vyrai ir 37 moterys). Tiriamiesiems pateikta interneto svetainėje patalpinta apklausa, susidedanti iš diferencinio vienišumo klausimyno, socialinio aprūpinimo klausimyno ir nerimo socialinėse interakcijose klausimyno. Taip pat pateikta socialinių-demografinių klausimų. Gauti rezultatai rodo, jog vieniši mikčiojantys asmenys jaučia daugiau socialinio nerimo ir gauna mažiau socialinio palaikymo, lyginant su nevienišais mikčiojančiais asmenimis. Be to, vieniši mikčiojantys asmenys, gaunantys daugiau socialinio palaikymo, jaučia mažiau socialinio nerimo negu vieniši mikčiojantys asmenys, gaunantys mažiau socialinio palaikymo. Taip pat apskaičiuota, jog apskritai mikčiojančiojo amžius neturi sąsajos su jo gaunamu socialiniu palaikymu, tačiau kuo vyresnis yra mikčiojantis asmuo, tuo mažiau jis jausis socialiai integruotas, ir atvirkščiai. Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, jog mikčiojančiųjų vienišumą paaiškina mažas socialinis palaikymas ir didelis socialinis nerimas, o socialinį nerimą paaiškina stipresnis mikčiojimas. / 74 stuterrers currently residing in Lithuania, aged 17-58, (38 men and 36 women) and 74 non-stutterers, also currently residing in Lithuania, aged 18-51 (37 men and 37 women), took part in the research. The respondents filled out an online survey consisting of the Differential Loneliness Scale, the Social Provisions Scale and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale. Some sociodemographic questions were also included in the survey. The results show that lonely stuttering adults had higher levels of social anxiety and received less social support than their less lonely counterparts. Also, lonely stuttering adults who received more social support had lower levels of social anxiety than lonely stuttering adults who received less social support. It was also calculated that the stutterer‘s age does not have any direct linkage to their level of received social support, however, the older a stutterer gets, the less socially integrated he or she will feel. The results also show that the stutterers‘ loneliness was buffered by higher levels of social support and negatively affected by higher levels of social anxiety. Moreover, social anxiety was shown to be negatively affected by more severe stuttering.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a mental disorder with high prevalence but low treatment accessibility. A way to facilitate care to these patients is through Internet based treatment. As is the case of most psychological treatments, much has been studied about positive effects but there is a gap regarding adverse effects. This study seeks to fill this gap in the case of an Internet delivered treatment. From a total of 127 participants who took part in a treatment that combined attention biased modification (ABM) and Internet based cognitive behavior therapy (iCBT), 21 (16.5%) presented adverse effects. Most of the adverse effects were detected after participants had received iCBT (13.4%), and these were mostly related to deterioration of symptoms (5.5%), negative wellbeing (3.9%) and emergence of new symptoms (1.6%). Perceived side effects after attention training were less common (4.7%). A thematic analysis showed also that the techniques used in treatment, the lack of time to complete treatment and becoming aware with the impairments of the disorder and its consequences could influence the emergence of adverse effects.

Tyrimo objektas: mokinių pasitikėjimas savimi, socialinis nerimas, ir savęs vertinimas. Tyrimo tikslas: atskleisti viduriniojo mokyklinio amžiaus mokinių pasitikėjimo savimi, socialinio nerimo ir savęs vertinimo ypatumus. Hipotezė: viduriniojo mokyklinio amžiaus mokinių pasitikėjimo savimi, socialinio nerimo lygis skiriasi lyties aspektu, pagal amžių bei pagal tai kokioje mokykloje mokosi: miesto ar rajono. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1. Ištirti viduriniojo mokyklinio amžiaus mokinių bendrą pasitikėjimo savimi, savęs vertinimo ir socialinio nerimo lygį; 2. Palyginti tiriamųjų pasitikėjimo savimi, savęs vertinimo ir socialinio nerimo lygį lyties aspektu; 3. Palyginti miesto ir rajono mokyklų mokinių pasitikėjimo savimi, socialinio nerimo ir savęs vertinimo lygius; 4. Palyginti pasitikėjimo savimi, savęs vertinimo ir socialinio nerimo lygį atsižvelgiant į jų amžių. Tiriamieji: 113 penktos ir aštuntos klasių Kauno miesto ir Kauno rajono mokykloje. Tyrimo metodai: Literatūros analizė, anketinė apklausa ir matematinė statistika. Išvados: 1. Nustatyta, kad didžioji dalis apklaustųjų pasižymėjo vidutiniu pasitikėjimo savimi lygiu, kas rodo, kad daugumos apklaustų pasitikėjimas savimi yra optimalus, neperdėtas. Žemu savęs vertinimo lygiu pasižymėjo daugiau nei penktadalis apklaustųjų, o dešimtadalis save vertina aukštu savęs vertinimo lygiu. Taipogi pastebėta, kad 36 proc. respondentų patiria aukštą arba vidutinį socialinio nerimo lygį, likę 64 proc. patiria arba žemą, arba iš vis... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Object of research: the self-confidence, social anxiety and self-esteem of middle school age pupil. Aim of research: reveal peculiarity the self-confidence, social anxiety and self-esteem of middle school age pupil. Hypothesis: the self-confidence, social anxiety and self-esteem levels of middle school age pupil are different by sex, by age and by school in which they study: city or district school. The goals of research: 1. Examine self-confidence, self-esteem and social anxiety level of middle school age pupil. 2. To compare subject’s self-confidence, social anxiety and self-esteem by sex. 3. To compare subject’s self-confidence, social anxiety and self-esteem by school in which they study. 4. To compare subjects’ self-confidence, social anxiety and self-esteem by age. Subjects of research: There were interviewed 113 fifth and eighth grade students in Kaunas and Kaunas district school. Methods of research: Analysis of literary sources; interview by questioner; Conclusions: 1. It was found that the majority of the respondents characterized the medium confidence level, indicating that the majority of respondent’s self-confidence is the optimal. Low level of self-assessment was characterized by more than one-fifth of respondents, while the self-tenth of a high level of self-assessment. We also observed that 36 percent. Respondent’s experiencing high or medium levels of social anxiety, the remaining 64 percent are, or low, or do not suffer from social anxiety is. 2. It is... [to full text]

According to attachment theory, the establishment of an attachment bond to a caregiver not only provides the infant with protection from danger, but also many other resources presumably beneficial to the child’s general psychological development. Although there is substantial empirical support for a link between attachment security and social functioning in childhood and adolescence, less is known about whether childhood attachment contributes to social functioning beyond adolescence. Similarly, attachment has been found predictive of broad aspects of a person’s functioning, but few attempts have been made to link attachment to the currently dominating perspective on personality, the Five Factor Model (FFM). Results in Study I partially supported our expectations, by showing prospective links from middle childhood security to various aspects of social functioning in young adulthood. Further, security contributed to developmental change in social functioning from middle childhood to young adulthood. In Study II, middle childhood security was found to predict some of the FFM personality traits (primarily extraversion and openness) concurrently and prospectively, partially supporting our expectations. The third aim of this thesis was to address whether attachment disorganization, which has usually been found predictive of maladaptive phenomena, may predict also other, non-pathological outcomes. In Study II, we found that higher levels of disorganization in young adulthood were concurrently associated with more openness and lower conscientiousness. Furthermore, in Study III disorganization was shown to be concurrently associated with more New Age spirituality and more absorption in adulthood. In addition, absorption was, in accordance with our expectations, found to statistically mediate the link between disorganization and New Age spirituality. Hence, these findings supported our assumption that disorganization might be expressed in other life domains besides specifically maladaptive ones. Taken together, we suggest that attachment spreads its influence to a broad set of life domains through its continuous influence on general psychological components such as cognitive representations and self-regulation abilities. However, the modest strength of our results indicates that attachment is only one among several factors involved in the development of social functioning, personality traits, and spirituality.

Denna studie undersökte samsjuklighet mellan smärta och social ångest i en smärtpopulation genom klusteranalys. Syftet var att undersöka om det fanns en undergrupp bland smärtpatienter som skattade högt på social ångest samt högt på upplevd invalidering före och efter smärtbehandling. Syftet var vidare att se om denna undergrupp skattade annorlunda vad gäller funktion jämfört med smärtpatienter med låg grad av social ångest samt se hur individer rörde sig mellan kluster över tid. Data bestod av självskattningsformulär från 157 smärtpatienter. Resultatet visade att det fanns en undergrupp som skattade högt på social ångest och upplevd invalidering. Individer i denna undergrupp hade lägre funktion innan såväl som efter behandling och tenderade att stanna kvar i de undergrupper som skattade högt på social ångest. / Comorbidity between pain and social anxiety in a sample of chronic pain patients was examined with cluster analysis. The purpose was to examine if there was a subgroup among pain patients that scored high on social anxiety and perceived invalidation before and after pain treatment. An additional purpose was to analyze if this subgroup scored differently on functioning compared to other pain patients and to explore movements between clusters over time. Data was based on self-report questionnaires from 157 pain patients. The results revealed an existing subgroup which scored high on social anxiety and perceived invalidation. The clusters with high social anxiety showed a lower level of functioning before and after pain treatment. These individuals tended to remain in the clusters scoring high on social anxiety over time

Previous studies examining memory biases for threatening faces in social anxiety (SA) have yielded inconclusive results. In the present study, memory and expectancy biases were tested within the context of a novel face recognition paradigm that was designed to offset some of the methodological challenges that have hampered previous research. Undergraduates with high (n = 40) and low (n = 40) levels of SA viewed a series of neutral faces randomly paired with phrases that communicated positive or negative social feedback. Participants’ recognition memory was tested for previously encountered faces, and for their categorization of each encoded face as having been associated with negative (mean) or positive (nice) interpersonal statements. For new faces, participants were asked whether the person seemed mean or nice. Results provided no evidence in support of a general memory bias for threatening (mean) faces among high SA individuals, but instead suggested that high SA individuals lack a positive expectancy bias to appraise new social partners as being nice. Implications are considered for cognitive behavioral and interpersonal models of SA.

Children and adolescents are now using online communication to form and/or maintain relationships with strangers and/or friends. Relationships in real life are important for children and adolescents in identity formation and general development. However, social relationships can be difficult for those who experience feelings of loneliness and social anxiety. The current study aimed to replicate and extend research conducted by Valkenburg and Peter (2007b), by investigating differences in online communication patterns between children and adolescents with and without selfreported loneliness and social anxiety. Six hundred and twenty-six students aged 10-16 years completed a questionnaire survey about the amount of time they engaged in online communication, the topics they discussed, who they communicated with, and their purposes of online communication. Following Valkenburg and Peter (2007b), loneliness was measured with a shortened version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) developed by Russell (1996), whereas social anxiety was assessed with a sub-scale of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (La Greca & Lopez, 1998). The sample was divided into four groups of children and adolescents: 220 were “non-socially anxious and non-lonely”, 139 were “socially anxious but not lonely”, 107 were “lonely but not socially anxious”, and 159 were “lonely and socially anxious”. A one-way ANOVA and chi-square tests were conducted to evaluate the aforementioned differences between these groups. The results indicated that children and adolescents who reported being lonely used online communication differently from those who did not report being lonely. Essentially, the former communicated online more frequently about personal things and intimate topics, but also to compensate for their weak social skills and to meet new people. Further analyses on gender differences within lonely children and adolescents revealed that boys and girls communicated online more frequently with different partners. It was concluded that for these vulnerable individuals online communication may fulfil needs of self-disclosure, identity exploration, and social interactions. However, future longitudinal studies combining a quantitative with a qualitative approach would better address the relationship between Internet use and psychosocial well-being. The findings also suggested the need for further exploration of how such troubled children and adolescents can use the Internet beneficially.

Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Social anxiety symptoms are common within the community. They are often unrecognised in many organisations, with resultant significant work impairments. The aim of the study was to explore to what extent the social anxiety spectrum of symptoms influences the performance of management employees and how the disorder should be managed in the workplace. The study includes the following constructs: social anxiety spectrum, job characteristics, work limitations and perceived performance difficulties. A nonexperimental research design was used to explore the relationships between the four constructs. A convenience sample of 250 managerial employees was approached from two large organizations, one in the private, and the other in the public sector. One hundred and eighteen (118) respondents completed and returned their questionnaires. The descriptive statistics reflected a mean age of 32 years (range 20 to 56 years), with 50% males and 50% females, and a race distribution of 64% White, 29% Coloured, 4% Black and 3% Indian for the sample. The majority of the participants had been working for 0 to 5 years (37.29%). The mean years worked was 10.81 and the median 9.5 (range 0.5 to 40 years worked). A high percentage of participants (11%) were found to have social anxiety symptoms above the cut off score for a diagnosis of the disorder. The results of the present study indicated that social anxiety affects all areas of work. These symptoms were associated with several areas of work limitations and performance difficulties not restricted to social interaction or presentation. It was also found that job insecurity increases social anxiety symptoms, work limitations and perceived performance difficulties. On the other hand, it was found that organisational support may act as a buffer against demands and may decrease work limitations and perceived performance difficulties. Whilst no moderating effect was found for growth opportunities in the relationship between social anxiety and work limitations, support was found for a negative relationship with both social anxiety and work limitations. No moderating effect was found for job insecurity in the relationship between social anxiety and work limitations. However, growth opportunities as a resource were found to moderate the relationship between social anxiety symptoms and perceived performance difficulties. Evidence was also found for the moderating effect of job insecurity in the relationship between social anxiety symptoms and perceived performance difficulties. The limitations of the current study and recommendations for organisations are discussed. This study highlights the importance of social anxiety symptoms as a barrier to effective work performance. Given the fact that interventions can potentially improve social anxiety and thereby performance, this area deserves much greater research attention. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sosiale angssimptome kom algemeen in die gemeenskap voor. Die simptome word nie alledaags in organisaies herken nie, en mag tot merkbaar verlaagde prestasie lei. Die doel van die studie was om die mate waartoe sosiale angsspektrum-simptome die prestasie van bestuursvlak-werknemers beïnvloed te bepaal en ondersoek in te stel na wyses waarop die simptome in organisasies bestuur moet word. Die studie het die volgende konstrukte ingesluit: sosiale angsspektrum-simptome, werkseienskappe, werksbeperkinge en waargenome prestasie-uitdagings. Daar is van ’n nie-eksperimentele navorsingsontwerp gebruik gemaak om die verhoudings tussen die vier konstrukte te bestudeer. ’n Gerieflikheidsteekproef van 250 bestuursvlak-werknemers van beide ’n privaatsektor en publieke sektor organisasie is genader. Eenhonderd en agtien voltooide vraelyste is ingedien. Die beskrywende statistiek het ’n gemiddelde ouderdom van 32 jaar getoon (versprei oor 20 tot 56 jaar), met 50% manlik, 50% vroulik, en ’n rasverspreiding van 64% wit, 29% kleurling, 4% swart en 3% Indiër respondente in die steekproef. Die meerderheid van die deelnemers het vorige werkservaring van 0 tot 5 jaar (37.29%) aangedui. Die gemiddelde aantal jare van werk was 10.81 en die mediaan 9.5 (versprei oor 0.5 tot 40 jaar gewerk). ‘n Hoë voorkomssyfer (11%) van sosiale angs is in die studie gevind, bo die afsnypunt vir die diagnose van die versteuring. Die resultate van die huidige studie dui aan dat sosiale angs alle aspekte van werk beïnvloed. Hierdie simptome was geassosieer met vele areas van werksbeperkings en waargenome prestasie-uitdagings en was nie slegs tot take wat sosiale interaksie en voordragte insluit, beperk nie. Die studie het ook gevind dat werksonsekerheid sosiale angssimptome, werksbeperkings en waargenome prestasie-uitdagings verhoog. Organisasieondersteuning is aangedui as ‘n moontlike buffer teen werkseise en mag werksbeperkings en waargenome prestasie-uitdagings verminder. Geen modereringseffek is vir groeigeleenthede gevind in die verhouding tussen sosiale angs en werksbeperkings nie, maar daar is wel gevind dat groeigeleenthede ’n negatiewe verband met beide sosiale angs en werksbeperkings het. Geen modereringseffek vir werksonsekerheid in die verhouding tussen sosiale angs en werksbeperkinge is gevind nie. Die rol van groeigeleenthede as hulpbron om die verhouding tussen sosiale angssimptome en waargenome prestasie-uitdagings te modereer, is bevestig. Getuienis is ook vir die modereringseffek van werksonsekerheid in die verhouding tussen sosiale angssimptome en waargenome prestasie-uitdagings gevind. Die beperkinge van die huidige studie en voorstelle vir organisasies word bespreek. Hierdie studie bekemtoon die belangrikheid van sosiale angssimptome as ’n hindernis met betrekking tot effektiewe werksprestasie. Ingrepe kan potensiaal sosiale angs verminder en daardeur prestasie verhoog. Hierdie aspek behoort heelwat meer navorsingsaandag in die toekoms te geniet.

This research focuses on pushing forward the understanding of mental disorders portrayals in games, more specifically social anxiety, which still lies as a marginalized topic in this medium. In order to understand honest manifestations of social anxiety in games, the first step is to conduct a close reading of games made by people who suffer from this mental disorder. A collection of five indie games, all of autobiographical nature and featuring social anxiety as an important part of their text, was put together for this analysis. This was done embracing the need to address the representational complexity, in order to tap into such a nuanced and elusive topic as social anxiety, not to identify rights or wrongs, but to engage in a discussion of how experiences are represented in games by people directly affected by this mental disorder. Individual experiences also contribute to expand interpretations and to identify additional keys of social anxiety representation. This is done by reaching informants, people living with a comorbid mental illnesses or disorders, that face or had faced social anxiety, and assess their perspectives through an experiential workshop. This work intends to further explore the practice of game design as mediator of experiences, contributing to both deepen the knowledge of game design and explore nuances of individual experiences present in autobiographical games and how this relates to perspectives of other people living with social anxiety. By combining the games and informants perspectives it is possible to structure a debate about game design patterns based on the findings of the game analysis and further elaborated with the nuanced perceptions gathered from informants. The knowledge acquired through this work is a step towards understanding of how games can represent, in an honest and non-stereotypical way, mental disorders, starting with social anxiety and, hopefully, contribute to spark other studies to broaden the spectrum of how the complexity of adverse mental conditions can be more respectfully addressed in games.