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Examining the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Positive Social Attention

Neczypor, Bethany N.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5421-7526
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1438277499

Abstract Details

2015, Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, Clinical Psychology (Arts and Sciences).
According to psycho-evolutionary models, self-conscious emotions operate as warning signals pertaining to threats to one’s social rank, and trigger submissive behavioral responses, which serve to appease group members. Although negative social interactions may provoke fear of rejection, positive social interactions may provoke fear that one will come into conflict with more powerful others who may become threatened by an individual’s social gains (e.g., see Weeks, Jakatdar, & Heimberg, 2010). The proposed study examined emotional (e.g., state anxiety) and behavioral (e.g., submissive head orientation) responses to positive attention. To study these effects, participants were randomly assigned to either: (1) experience more positive attention than expected by social norms (i.e., overinclusion) or (2) a control condition (i.e., a reasonably expected amount of positive attention [inclusion]) during a simulated “getting acquainted” task. It was hypothesized that trait levels of social anxiety would interact with experimental condition to predict (1) self-reported state levels of anxiety and (2) submissive displays. Although state anxiety did not vary by experimental condition, the interaction of trait social anxiety and condition predicted submissive head movements. Specifically, highly socially anxious participants tilted their heads leftward during the task (reflecting increased self-conscious emotions), and this relationship was strongest in response to greater positive attention (overinclusion), whereas less socially anxious participants tended to tilt their heads rightward when receiving greater positive attention. It appears that positive social attention can trigger involuntary displays of self-conscious emotions in the absence of explicit reports of anxiety.
Justin Weeks, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Peggy Zoccola, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Kimberly Rios, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
93 p.
Psychology
social anxiety; positive attention; submissive gestures; dominance; fear of positive evaluation

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Neczypor, B. N. (2015). Examining the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Positive Social Attention [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1438277499

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Neczypor, Bethany. Examining the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Positive Social Attention. 2015. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1438277499.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Neczypor, Bethany. "Examining the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Positive Social Attention." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1438277499

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1438277499
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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.