Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Exploring linguistic correlates of social anxiety in romantic stories
Katya C Fernandez1, Elizabeth A Gordon2, Thomas L Rodebaugh1
1a Department of Psychology , Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis , MO , USA.
Abstract:
The current study used computerized linguistic analysis of stories about either going on a date or taking a walk down a street to examine linguistic correlates of social anxiety in a sample of undergraduate students. In general, linguistic analysis revealed associations of social anxiety with several linguistic variables, including negative emotion, affect, and anxiety words. Participants higher in social anxiety wrote fewer affect words. The relationship between social anxiety and anxiety words depended on gender, whereas the relationship between social anxiety and negative emotion words depended on both gender and the nature of primes (supraliminal vs. subliminal) received. Overall, our findings highlight the potential utility and benefits of using linguistic analysis as another source of information about how individuals higher in social anxiety process romantic stimuli.
Related Concept Videos
Social Anxiety Disorder
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
Horney's Sociocultural Approach
Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles
Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Social Relationships and Well-Being

