What is the role of self-evaluation in social anxiety : can self-compassion counter negative evaluation?

Abstract

Cognitive models of social phobia (Clark & Wells, 1995; Rapee & Heimberg, 1997; Hofmann, 2007) propose that social phobia is maintained by a fear of negative self evaluation. The literature review focuses on the role implicit and explicit self evaluations play in social phobia, including visual self-images. It then examines the ways in which self-compassion may counter negative self-evaluations. The empirical paper examines whether a self-compassionate induction can influence implicit and explicit measures of self-esteem. Sixty-three socially anxious participants gave a two-minute speech and were then randomly assigned to one of three conditions (Self-compassionate induction; emotional processing control; pure control) in order to examine the impact of self-compassion on implicit and explicit self-esteem and visual self-images in social anxiety. Consistent with previous research, all participant's exhibited a positive implicit self-esteem, as measured by the Implicit Association's Test (IAT). The three groups did not differ significantly on levels of implicit and explicit self-esteem, or the valence of visual self-images. However a significant correlation between implicit and explicit self-esteem was observed in the self compassionate group only, providing pmiial support for the hypothesis that self compassion may reduce the discrepancy between implicit and explicit self-esteem. Implications of the results are discussed, as are the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research.

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