The Effect of Self-Imagery on Symptoms and Processes in Social Anxiety Disorder

Abstract

Cognitive models of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) suggest that negative self-images maintain social fears despite repeated exposure to benign social situations. This thesis consists of two studies: a systematic review and an empirical study. Chapter 1 presents a published journal article of a review of the literature on self-imagery in SAD. Limitations of existing studies and implications are discussed, as well as recommendations for future research. Chapter 2 presents a published journal article of the systematic review. Findings indicated that negative self-imagery had a consistently adverse effect on anxiety, self and observer-rated performance appraisals, and negative thoughts for both socially anxious and non-clinical participants, and that these effects were generally not significantly greater for socially anxious participants. Thirdly, Chapter 3 presents the empirical study, which included a sample comprised of 49 clinically diagnosed and 41 non-clinical participants. The impact of self-imagery during a speech task was empirically tested in a 2 group by 3 condition between-subjects experimental design, where the three conditions were negative, positive, and neutral self-imagery. The expected patterns of group effects for symptom, affective, and cognitive measures were found; however, the interactions hypothesised by cognitive models did not emerge, suggesting that negative imagery may not be as influential as posited by current theoretical models. Finally, Chapter 4 presents a General Discussion including reflections on theoretical and clinical implications of the findings from this thesis, strengths and limitations of the research, and concluding comments regarding potential future directions. Continuing research is warranted to further disentangle the relative importance of different aspects of self-imagery in order to potentially inform clinical intervention research modifying imagery in effective treatments for SAD.