Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T14:45:28.507Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Voluntary and Involuntary Imagery in Social Anxiety

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 February 2017

Sophie R. Homer Open the ORCID record for Sophie R. Homer [Opens in a new window]  and
Catherine Deeprose
Sophie R. Homer*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Cognition Institute, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
Catherine Deeprose
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Cognition Institute, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
*
*Correspondence to Sophie Homer, School of Psychology, Cognition Institute, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Negative mental imagery is ubiquitous in cognitive models of social anxiety and in the social anxiety literature. Previous research has shown that it is causal of increased anxiety, lower social performance ratings and lower implicit self-esteem. Despite its prevalence, few studies have investigated this imagery directly. Aims: This study aimed to provide an in-depth analysis of the phenomenology of negative imagery experienced by socially anxious individuals, and to compare recurrent and intrusive images with images deliberately generated by participants during the study. Method: Thirty-eight undergraduate students screened to be above average in social anxiety scores completed a computerized imagery questionnaire adapted from previous qualitative work. Results: Thematic analyses revealed four major image themes for intrusive images and three for deliberately generated images including interacting with others and anxiety symptoms. Most intrusive images were based on negative episodic memories and were experienced at least fortnightly. Images were primarily visual, auditory and somatic but could involve any sensory modality. Depression anxiety stress scale (DASS-21) scores were higher in participants who experienced intrusive imagery and increased with the frequency of intrusions. Emotionality was generally higher in intrusive images than generated images. Conclusions: The phenomenology of negative imagery experienced by socially anxious individuals is idiosyncratic and may be inherently different from images generated for use in experimental research. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Keywords

Social anxietymental imageryintrusive imageryqualitative
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 45 , Issue 3 , May 2017 , pp. 285 - 299
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

1 Quote from a participant in this study.

References

Antony, M. M., Bieling, P. J., Cox, B. J., Enns, M. W. and Swinson, R. P. (1998). Psychometric properties of the 42-item and 21-item versions of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales in clinical groups and a community sample. Psychological Assessment, 10, 176.Google Scholar
Antony, M. M., Coons, M. J., McCabe, R. E., Ashbaugh, A. and Swinson, R. P. (2006). Psychometric properties of the social phobia inventory: Further evaluation. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 1177–1185.Google Scholar
Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101.Google Scholar
Brewin, C. R. and Holmes, E. A. (2003). Psychological theories of post-traumatic stress disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 23, 339–376.Google Scholar
Brewin, C. R., Watson, M., McCarthy, S., Hyman, P. and Dayson, D. (1998). Intrusive memories and depression in cancer patients. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 1131–1142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, D. M. and Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In Heimberg, R., Liebowitz, M. R., Hope, D. A. and Schneier, F. R. (eds), Social Phobia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Treatment. The Guildford Press: New York.Google Scholar
Coles, M. E., Turk, C. L., Heimberg, R. G. and Fresco, D. M. (2001). Effects of varying levels of anxiety within social situations: Relationship to memory perspective and attributions in social phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 39, 651–665.Google Scholar
Conway, M. A. and Pleydell-Pearce, C. W. (2000). The construction of autobiographical memories in the self-memory system. Psychological Review, 107, 261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deeprose, C. and Holmes, E. A. (2010). An exploration of prospective imagery: the impact of future events scale. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 38, 201.Google Scholar
Ehlers, A. and Clark, D. M. (2000). A cognitive model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38, 319–345.Google Scholar
Hackmann, A., Clark, D. M. and McManus, F. (2000). Recurrent images and early memories in social phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38, 601–610.Google Scholar
Hackmann, A., Surawy, C. and Clark, D. M. (1998). Seeing yourself through others’ eyes: A study of spontaneously occurring images in social anxiety disorder. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 26, 3–12.Google Scholar
Henry, J. D. and Crawford, J. R. (2005). The short-form version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21): Construct validity and normative data in a large non-clinical sample. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44, 227–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hirsch, C. R., Clark, D. M., Mathews, A. and Williams, R. (2003). Self-images play a causal role in social phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41, 909–921.Google Scholar
Hirsch, C. R. and Holmes, E. A. (2007). Mental imagery in anxiety disorders. Psychiatry, 6, 161–165.Google Scholar
Hirsch, C. R., Mathews, A., Clark, D. M., Williams, R. and Morrison, J. A. (2006). The causal role of negative imagery in social anxiety: A test in confident public speakers. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 37, 159–170.Google Scholar
Hirsch, C., Meynen, T. and Clark, D. (2004). Negative self-imagery in social anxiety contaminates social interactions. Memory, 12, 496–506.Google Scholar
Hofmann, S. G. (2007). Cognitive factors that maintain social anxiety disorder: A comprehensive model and its treatment implications. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 36, 193–209.Google Scholar
Homer, S. R., Deeprose, C. and Andrade, J. (2016). Negative mental imagery in public speaking anxiety: forming cognitive resistance by taxing visuospatial working memory. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 50, 77–82.Google Scholar
Hulme, N., Hirsch, C. and Stopa, L. (2012). Images of the self and self-esteem: do positive self-images improve self-esteem in social anxiety? Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 41, 163–173.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kearns, M. and Engelhard, I. M. (2015). Psychophysiological responsivity to script-driven imagery: an exploratory study of the effects of eye movements on public speaking flashforwards. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 6, 115.Google Scholar
Kuyken, W. and Brewin, C. R. (1994). Intrusive memories of childhood abuse during depressive episodes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32, 525–528.Google Scholar
Lee, C. W. and Cuijpers, P. (2013). A meta-analysis of the contribution of eye movements in processing emotional memories. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 44, 231–239.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lovibond, S. H. and Lovibond, P. F. (1993). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS). Psychology Foundation Monograph (available from The Psychology Foundation, Room 1005 Mathews Building, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia).Google Scholar
Mattick, R. P. and Clark, J. C. (1998). Development and validation of measures of social phobia scrutiny fear and social interaction anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 455–470.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moscovitch, D. A., Gavric, D. L., Merrifield, C., Bielak, T. and Moscovitch, M. (2011). Retrieval properties of negative vs. positive mental images and autobiographical memories in social anxiety: Outcomes with a new measure. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 49, 505–517.Google Scholar
Nilsson, J. E., Lundh, L. G. and Viborg, G. (2012). Imagery rescripting of early memories in social anxiety disorder: an experimental study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 50, 387–392.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ng, A. S., Abbott, M. J. and Hunt, C. (2014). The effect of self-imagery on symptoms and processes in social anxiety: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 34, 620–633.Google Scholar
Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods (2nd edn). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Rapee, R. M. and Heimberg, R. G. (1997). A cognitive-behavioral model of anxiety in social phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 741–756.Google Scholar
Sansen, L. M., Iffland, B. and Neuner, F. (2015). The trauma of peer victimization: Psychophysiological and emotional characteristics of memory imagery in subjects with social anxiety disorder. Psychophysiology, 52, 107–116.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stokes, C. and Hirsch, C. R. (2010). Engaging in imagery versus verbal processing of worry: Impact on negative intrusions in high worriers. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48, 418–423.Google Scholar
Van den Hout, M. A. and Engelhard, I. M. (2012). How does EMDR work? Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 3, 724–738.Google Scholar
Wells, A., Clark, D. M. and Ahmad, S. (1998). How do I look with my mind's eye: Perspective taking in social phobic imagery. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 631–634.Google Scholar
Wells, A. and Papageorgiou, C. (1999). The observer perspective: Biased imagery in social phobia, agoraphobia, and blood/injury phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37, 653–658.Google Scholar
Wild, J., Hackmann, A. and Clark, D. M. (2008). Rescripting early memories linked to negative images in social phobia: A pilot study. Behavior Therapy, 39, 47–56.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.