Differential Effect of Mirror Manipulation on Self-Perception in Social Phobia Subtypes

This study employed mirror manipulation to examine differences in self-perception between the DSM-IV subtypes of social phobia (social anxiety disorder). We asked 82 consecutively admitted patients with social phobia to record three positive and three negative characteristics about themselves. Sixty-three percent of them met criteria for a generalized subtype of social phobia (GSP). A random half of the total sample sat in front of a mirror before and during this task. Participants' responses were classified into either positive or negative self-statements concerning their bodily appearance, competence, and socially relevant or non-socially relevant personality characteristics. The mirror manipulation had a differential effect on self-perception in social phobia subtypes. The presence of a mirror led to more positive and negative self statements about bodily appearance, and to fewer negative self-statements about socially-relevant personality characteristics in participants with GSP. In contrast, participants not meeting criteria for GSP responded to mirror exposure only with fewer negative self-statements about non-socially relevant personality characteristics. These results suggest that mirror exposure leads to fewer negative self-statements about private aspects of the self, concerning social situations, while it enhances public self-consciousness in individuals with GSP.