Ease of imaging positive affect content moderates the relation between ease of imaging negative affect content and...

Imagery has long been connected to social anxiety. Ease of imaging affect content relates to the ability to generate negatively- or positively valenced images. There is proposed benefit in imaging positive content as a potential attenuating factor for the impact of imaging negative content on symptom severity. This study examined if ease of imaging positive affect content moderated the relation between ease of imaging negative affect content and indices of social anxiety across two independent samples of undergraduate students (n = 379, n = 308). Participants in both samples completed self-report measures, with participants in sample 2 completing a laboratory public speaking task as well. The predicted moderating effect of ease of imaging positive affect content was found in relation to avoidant personality traits (sample 1), fear of negative evaluation (sample 2), and state cognitive anxiety intensity following public speaking (sample 2). Ease of imaging negative affect content shared a weaker relation with avoidant personality traits, fear of negative evaluation, and state cognitive anxiety intensity as the ease of imaging positive affect content increased. These results suggest potential benefit in further examining ease of imaging positive affect content in relation to social anxiety.