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Related Experiment Videos

Modifying shyness-related social behavior through symptom misattribution

S E Brodt, P G Zimbardo

    Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
    |September 1, 1981
    PubMed
    Summary

    Shy women became less shy when their anxiety symptoms were misattributed to noise. This social anxiety intervention improved their social participation and interactional assertiveness.

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    Area of Science:

    • Psychology
    • Social Psychology
    • Clinical Psychology

    Background:

    • Dispositional shyness is often linked to social anxiety.
    • Shy individuals frequently exhibit reduced social participation and interactional assertiveness.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the efficacy of an experimental misattribution paradigm in altering social participation among dispositionally shy women.
    • To examine if misattributing arousal symptoms to a nonpsychological source can reduce social anxiety and improve social behavior.

    Main Methods:

    • An experimental misattribution paradigm was employed, exposing shy women to high-frequency noise.
    • Participants' arousal symptoms were misattributed to the noise, altering their perception of anxiety.
    • Behavioral measures of verbal fluency, interactional assertiveness, and social participation were assessed.
    • A confederate partner rated participants' shyness, and participants reported their enjoyment and preference for affiliation.

    Main Results:

    • Shy women in the misattribution group behaved as if they were not shy, showing increased verbal fluency and assertiveness.
    • Their behavior resembled that of non-shy comparison women.
    • The confederate misjudged the shy women in the misattribution group as not shy.
    • These women reported greater enjoyment and a stronger preference for affiliation despite the noise.

    Conclusions:

    • Experimental misattribution is a significant intervention for increasing social participation in shy individuals.
    • This paradigm effectively reduces the impact of social anxiety by altering the interpretation of arousal symptoms.
    • The findings suggest a potential therapeutic avenue for social anxiety disorder, highlighting the role of cognitive appraisal in social behavior.

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