Appraisal biases in social phobia : a startle probe methodology

Clarke, Greg (2007) Appraisal biases in social phobia : a startle probe methodology. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

Social phobia is characterised by irrational fears relating to social situations, which persist despite regular exposure to the feared situation.  Recent cognitive models of social phobia and general cognitive models of anxiety suggest that individuals with social phobia have appraisal biases of social situations, which leads them to evaluate social situations as more threatening, than non-socially phobic individuals.  This subsequently leads to negative interpretations of ambiguous social events and recollection of negative social event memories in favour of positive social event memories.  It is crucial that any psychological interventions (in particular CBT), focus on the modification of these maladaptive appraisal mechanisms to improve socially phobic individuals’ performance within a social context.  This literature review will provide a clinical evaluation of predictions from cognitive models of anxiety within the context of social phobia (Mogg & Bradley, 1998), and specific cognitive models of social phobia (Clark & Wells, 2002).

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