Effects of Self-Imagery on Cognitive Processes Within Social Anxiety

Abstract

Cognitive models of social anxiety suggest that negative mental self-imagery maintains social anxiety. Much research posits social anxiety is accompanied by increased negative self-imagery; however, little research investigates self-imagery's impact beyond performance in social interaction. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social anxiety and task effectiveness and efficiency using behavioral data and measures of neural activity (i.e., Event Related Potentials). Furthermore, manipulations in self-imagery were used to investigate its moderating effects. Twenty five individuals with high and 23 with low levels of social anxiety completed three self-imagery manipulations and completed a Go/No-go task after each manipulation. Results indicated that individuals with high levels of social anxiety performed equally well as the individuals with low social anxiety. Importantly, those with high levels of social anxiety showed slower reaction times during the task and decreased efficiency of neural recruitment. These results support the attentional control theories assertions that social anxiety is often more associated with poor efficiency than it is with poor effectiveness. Unexpectedly, no interactions with self-imagery were observed, which may suggest that individuals with social anxiety show decreased efficiency, generally, when engaging in self-focused attention. Further research is necessary to determine the potential moderating effects of self-imagery within social anxiety often posited by cognitive models.