Nonverbal synchrony in diagnostic interviews of individuals with social anxiety disorder.

The present study examined nonverbal synchrony (i.e., synchrony between individuals' movement) during diagnostic interviews of individuals with and without social anxiety disorder (SAD). Specifically, 42 individuals with SAD and 42 individuals without SAD underwent a structured clinical interview, and videos of clinical interviews were analysed using Motion Energy Analysis (an objective machine-based video analysis) to quantify each individuals' movement as well as dyadic synchrony. Results indicated that interviews of individuals with SAD had significantly lower levels of nonverbal synchrony compared to interviews of individuals without SAD. In addition, interviews of individuals with SAD had lower levels of pacing compared to interviews of individuals without SAD (pacing refers to synchrony in which the interviewer initiates movement to which the participant responds). Analyses with social anxiety represented as a continuum of severity (vs. a diagnostic dichotomy) resulted in similar findings. Thus, individuals with SAD synchronized with interviewers' movement to a lesser extent compared to individuals without SAD, and social anxiety was associated with diminished synchrony. Implications for psychopathology and diagnosis of SAD are discussed.

Pride in social anxiety disorder.

The present study examined differences in the experience of pride between individuals with and without social anxiety disorder (SAD), and is the first to examine both the effects of context on pride and the temporal relationship between pride and anxiety in participants' daily lives. Eighty-eight participants took part in the study, half (n = 44) met diagnostic criteria for SAD and half (n = 44) did not. Both groups completed an experience sampling measurement (ESM) to assess the levels of pride and anxiety and the nature of interpersonal contexts in which these emotions were experienced every day for 21 consecutive days. Using multilevel linear modeling, our findings suggest that pride is diminished among individuals with SAD, that situations percieved as highly neagative and positive, or as highly meaningful and positive are associated with the highest levels of pride, and that the experience of pride is associated with subsequent reductions in anxiety among individuals with SAD. These findings point to the role of pride in the disorder and can be used to inform and enhance therapeutic interventions for SAD.

All by myself: Loneliness in social anxiety disorder.

In the present study we examined loneliness among individuals with and without social anxiety disorder (SAD), contexts that may moderate the experience of loneliness, and the temporal relationship between loneliness and social anxiety. We examined 88 individuals (44 with SAD and 44 without SAD) and used experience sampling (ES) methods, comprising of real-time measurement of naturally occurring events and participants' emotional reactions to them during participants' daily lives over the course of 21 days. Hierarchical linear models indicated that individuals with SAD reported significantly more loneliness compared to individuals without SAD. We also found that characteristics of social situations (negativity, positivity, and meaningfulness) were all positively and significantly associated with loneliness among individuals with SAD. Thus, social situations that were experienced as more negative, more positive, and more meaningful all resulted in increased loneliness for individuals with SAD. We also found a significant Positivity × Meaningfulness interaction that indicated that the effect of positivity was attenuated when meaningfulness was high. Notably, none of these effects were found for individuals without SAD. Finally, we found that for individuals with SAD, both anxiety and loneliness predicted changes in each other and combined to form a deleterious cycle. However, evidence for such a cycle was not found for individuals without SAD. The role of loneliness in the psychopathology of SAD and its maintenance, as well as clinical implications are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The Medium is the Message: Effects of Mediums of Communication on Perceptions and Emotions in Social Anxiety Disorder.

We examined the use of voice/text and visual mediums and their effects on perceptions and emotions in social anxiety disorder (SAD). Our sample included 88 individuals: 44 individuals with SAD and 44 non-socially-anxious (NSA) individuals. We used an experience sampling methodology (ESM) in which participants received daily links to online measures at random times during the day, for 21 days and reported on social interactions, emotions and perceptions. Results indicated that individuals with SAD used voice/text mediums to a greater extent and used visual mediums to a lesser extent compared to NSA individuals. However, despite preferring voice/text mediums, use of visual mediums resulted in immediate increases in positive perceptions and emotions for individuals with SAD. These findings were above and beyond the effect of depressive symptoms and remained when social anxiety was represented as a continuum of severity. This has important implications for exposure interventions in the treatment of SAD.

The grass is always greener: Envy in social anxiety disorder.

In the present study we examined envy in social anxiety disorder (SAD) and its potential role in maintaining the disorder. In addition, we examined social contexts and modes of communication that may serve as moderators of envy in SAD, and the temporal relationship between envy and anxiety in the disorder. Our sample included 88 individuals (44 with SAD and 44 without SAD) who underwent an experience sampling procedure in which participants received daily measures of emotions for 21 days. Using multilevel linear modeling we found that individuals with SAD experienced elevated envy compared to individuals without SAD and this was enhanced in social (compared to non-social) contexts. For individuals with SAD, visual modes of communication were associated with elevated envy compared to voice/text communication. Finally, envy predicted subsequent anxiety above and beyond previous anxiety and additional negative emotions. The role of envy in the psychopathology and maintenance of SAD, as well as clinical implications are discussed.

Biased distance estimation in social anxiety disorder: A new avenue for understanding avoidance behavior.

OBJECTIVES: People regulate their interpersonal space appropriately to obtain a comfortable distance for interacting with others. Socially anxious individuals are especially prone to discomfort from and fear of physical closeness, leading them to prefer a greater interpersonal distance from others. Previous studies also indicate that fear can enhance the threat-related elements of a threatening stimulus. For example, spider phobia is associated with estimating spiders as bigger and faster than they actually are. Nonetheless, it is still unclear whether the preference of those with social anxiety disorder (SAD) to maintain greater distance from others is associated with biased estimations of interpersonal distance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 87 participants (44 clinically diagnosed with SAD and 43 control) performed validated computerized and ecological tasks in a real-life setting while social space estimations and preferences were measured. RESULTS: Participants with SAD felt comfortable when maintaining a greater distance from unfamiliar others compared to the control group and estimated unfamiliar others to be closer to them than they actually were. Moreover, the estimation bias predicted their preferred distance from strangers, indicating a strong association between estimation bias severity and actual approach-avoidance behavior. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that distance estimation bias underlies avoidance behavior in SAD, suggesting the involvement of a new cognitive mechanism in personal space regulation.

The relationship between positive affect and negative affect during treatment for major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the relationship between positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) along the course of combined cognitive behavior therapy and pharmacological treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). METHOD: Participants were 165 individuals who sought treatment for MDD in a partial hospital setting. Participants' PA, NA, and depressive symptoms were measured at pre- and post-treatment and PA and NA were measured at up to 10 additional measurements along the course of treatment. RESULTS: Results indicated that PA at pre-treatment predicted depressive symptoms at post-treatment above and beyond NA and the PA*NA interaction. However, an analysis of patterns of change during treatment using lower level mediational modeling in a multilevel framework indicated that NA predicted subsequent PA to a greater extent than vice versa. CONCLUSION: Though many treatments for MDD predominantly focus on reducing NA, our findings suggest that PA may be an important predictor of outcome in treatment for MDD, and that the inclusion of interventions to increase the experience of PA may help improve the efficacy of treatment.