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Training implicit social anxiety associations: an experimental intervention.
Elise M Clerkin1, Bethany A Teachman
1University of Virginia, VA, USA. emc2t@virginia.edu
Journal of Anxiety Disorders
|January 28, 2010
Summary
This study shows that training people to process positive information can reduce negative implicit associations related to social anxiety. This suggests implicit associations may causally impact anxiety reduction.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Cognitive models suggest biased information processing contributes to anxiety.
- Implicit social anxiety associations may play a causal role in anxious responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate an experimental intervention for anxiety reduction.
- To modify implicit social anxiety associations using a conditioning paradigm.
- To test the causal link between cognitive processing biases and anxiety.
Main Methods:
- Employed a conditioning paradigm with a highly socially anxious sample (N=108).
- Trained participants to process non-threatening information via stimulus-face pairings.
- Utilized two control conditions for comparison.
Main Results:
- The positive training group showed reduced negative implicit associations post-intervention.
- Participants in the training group were more likely to complete an impromptu speech.
- No significant reduction in self-reported anxiety during the speech was observed.
Conclusions:
- Findings partially support cognitive models of anxiety.
- Implicit associations are correlated with social anxiety.
- Implicit associations may be causally related to anxiety reduction.
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