Threat is in the eye of the beholder: Social anxiety and the interpretation of ambiguous facial expressions

K. Lira Yoon; Richard E. Zinbarg

doi:10.1016/j.brat.2006.05.004

Threat is in the eye of the beholder: Social anxiety and the interpretation of ambiguous facial expressions

K. Lira Yoon^*, Richard E. Zinbarg

^*Corresponding author for this work

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

121 Scopus citations

Abstract

The current study investigated the tendency of individuals with high levels of social anxiety to interpret ambiguous facial expressions in a threatening manner. Results obtained from self-report measures were consistent with previous studies in which highly socially anxious individuals endorsed threatening interpretations for ambiguous social information. More importantly, highly socially anxious participants showed relative facilitation of processing of threatening faces following neutral faces when a priming technique was used to eliminate artifact due to response selection bias. These findings support the hypothesized social anxiety-linked interpretive bias.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	839-847
Number of pages	9
Journal	Behaviour Research and Therapy
Volume	45
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2006.05.004
State	Published - Apr 2007

Keywords

Interpretive bias
Neutral face
Social anxiety

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Psychiatry and Mental health

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.brat.2006.05.004

Cite this

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title = "Threat is in the eye of the beholder: Social anxiety and the interpretation of ambiguous facial expressions",

abstract = "The current study investigated the tendency of individuals with high levels of social anxiety to interpret ambiguous facial expressions in a threatening manner. Results obtained from self-report measures were consistent with previous studies in which highly socially anxious individuals endorsed threatening interpretations for ambiguous social information. More importantly, highly socially anxious participants showed relative facilitation of processing of threatening faces following neutral faces when a priming technique was used to eliminate artifact due to response selection bias. These findings support the hypothesized social anxiety-linked interpretive bias.",

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note = "Funding Information: Preparation of this article was supported by Grant 1R01 MH65652-01 from the National Institutes of Mental Health and by the Patricia M Nielsen Research Chair Endowment from The Family Institute at Northwestern University of Richard E. Zinbarg. We want to thank undergraduate research assistants who helped with running participants. Portions of this article are based on a thesis submitted by the first author in partial fulfillment of the Master of Science degree at Northwestern University.",

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Threat is in the eye of the beholder: Social anxiety and the interpretation of ambiguous facial expressions

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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