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Self-Verification and Social Anxiety: Preference for Negative Social Feedback and Low Social Self-Esteem

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2011

David P. Valentiner ,
John J. Skowronski ,
Patrick B. McGrath ,
Sarah A. Smith  and
Kerry A. Renner
David P. Valentiner*
Affiliation:
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, USA
John J. Skowronski
Affiliation:
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, USA
Patrick B. McGrath
Affiliation:
Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, Illinois, USA
Sarah A. Smith
Affiliation:
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, USA
Kerry A. Renner
Affiliation:
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, USA
*
Reprint requests to David P. Valentiner, Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background: A self-verification model of social anxiety views negative social self-esteem as a core feature of social anxiety. This core feature is proposed to be maintained through self-verification processes, such as by leading individuals with negative social self-esteem to prefer negative social feedback. This model is tested in two studies. Methods: In Study 1, questionnaires were administered to a college sample (N = 317). In Study 2, questionnaires were administered to anxiety disordered patients (N = 62) before and after treatment. Results: Study 1 developed measures of preference for negative social feedback and social self-esteem, and provided evidence of their incremental validity in a college sample. Study 2 found that these two variables are not strongly related to fears of evaluation, are relatively unaffected by a treatment that targets such fears, and predict residual social anxiety following treatment. Conclusions: Overall, these studies provide preliminary evidence for a self-verification model of social anxiety.

Keywords

Social anxietyselfinterpersonal model
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 39 , Issue 5 , October 2011 , pp. 601 - 617
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2011

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