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Decoding Cognitive Control and Cognitive Flexibility as Concomitants for Experiential Avoidance in Social Anxiety.
Tarana Jain1, Ridhima Shukla1, Neeraj Panwar1
1Department of Psychology, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Delhi NCR, Ghaziabad, India.
Psychological Reports
|August 2, 2024
Summary
Cognitive control and cognitive flexibility significantly predict experiential avoidance in university students with social anxiety. Improving these executive functions may help manage social anxiety symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Experiential avoidance is a key characteristic of social anxiety, particularly in young adults.
- Executive functions, including cognitive control and cognitive flexibility, are vital for mental well-being.
- Understanding the interplay of these factors is crucial for addressing social anxiety in university students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of cognitive control and cognitive flexibility on experiential avoidance in university students with social anxiety.
- To determine the predictive power of these executive functions on social anxiety-related avoidance behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Employed an ex-post facto research design.
- Screened university students for social anxiety using the Social Phobia Inventory.
- Administered standardized measures for experiential avoidance, cognitive control, and cognitive flexibility to 195 participants.
Main Results:
- Cognitive control predicted 5% of the variance in experiential avoidance.
- Cognitive flexibility additionally predicted 10% of the variance.
- Together, cognitive control and flexibility accounted for a cumulative 15% variance in experiential avoidance.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive control is positively associated with experiential avoidance, while cognitive flexibility is negatively correlated.
- Both cognitive control and cognitive flexibility are significant predictors of experiential avoidance in this population.
- Findings highlight the need for interventions targeting executive functions to manage social anxiety.
Keywords:
Cognitive controlcognitive flexibilityexecutive functionsexperiential avoidancesocial anxietyMore Related Videos
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