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Happy but not so approachable: the social judgments of individuals with generalized social phobia.
Depress Anxiety. 2009; 26(5):419-24.DA

Abstract

BACKGROUND

We examined social approachability judgments in a psychiatric population that frequently experiences interpersonal difficulties and reduced social satisfaction, individuals with generalized social phobia (gSP).

METHODS

Our objective was to broaden the understanding of the social cognitive tendencies of individuals with gSP by systematically investigating their interpretation of positive facial expressions. We hypothesized that approachability ratings would be lower for positive as well as negative emotional faces in the gSP group compared to the healthy comparison group. Each participant evaluated 24 emotional faces presented on a computer screen. Participants first labeled the faces as either happy, disgust, or angry in emotional expression, and then they rated each face's approachability. Analysis of variance and post hoc analyses were used to identify group, emotion, and group by emotion rating differences.

RESULTS

Happy face approachability ratings were higher than disgust and anger in both groups. The central finding was that individuals with gSP rated happy faces as less approachable than the healthy participants and that degree of social anxiety was associated with lower approachability ratings within the gSP sample. Explicit approachability judgments of negative faces did not differ as predicted.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent with earlier indirect evidence of interpretation biases of positive social emotional information, this study reveals that individuals with gSP demonstrate explicit, subjective social interpretation biases of overtly positive social feedback. The therapeutic relevance of these results is discussed.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Campbell DW
Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, 801E John Buhler Research Centre, 715 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E 3P4, Canada. dcampb@cc.umanitoba.ca
Sareen J
No affiliation info available
Stein MB
No affiliation info available
Kravetsky LB
No affiliation info available
Paulus MP
No affiliation info available
Hassard ST
No affiliation info available
Reiss JP
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AdultCultureEmotionsFacial ExpressionFeedbackFemaleHappinessHumansInterpersonal RelationsJudgmentMaleMotivationPattern Recognition, VisualPhobic DisordersPsychological DistanceSocial PerceptionYoung Adult

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

19242987

Citation

Campbell, D W., et al. "Happy but Not so Approachable: the Social Judgments of Individuals With Generalized Social Phobia." Depression and Anxiety, vol. 26, no. 5, 2009, pp. 419-24.
Campbell DW, Sareen J, Stein MB, et al. Happy but not so approachable: the social judgments of individuals with generalized social phobia. Depress Anxiety. 2009;26(5):419-24.
Campbell, D. W., Sareen, J., Stein, M. B., Kravetsky, L. B., Paulus, M. P., Hassard, S. T., & Reiss, J. P. (2009). Happy but not so approachable: the social judgments of individuals with generalized social phobia. Depression and Anxiety, 26(5), 419-24. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20474
Campbell DW, et al. Happy but Not so Approachable: the Social Judgments of Individuals With Generalized Social Phobia. Depress Anxiety. 2009;26(5):419-24. PubMed PMID: 19242987.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Happy but not so approachable: the social judgments of individuals with generalized social phobia. AU - Campbell,D W, AU - Sareen,J, AU - Stein,M B, AU - Kravetsky,L B, AU - Paulus,M P, AU - Hassard,S T, AU - Reiss,J P, PY - 2009/2/27/entrez PY - 2009/2/27/pubmed PY - 2009/7/23/medline SP - 419 EP - 24 JF - Depression and anxiety JO - Depress Anxiety VL - 26 IS - 5 N2 - BACKGROUND: We examined social approachability judgments in a psychiatric population that frequently experiences interpersonal difficulties and reduced social satisfaction, individuals with generalized social phobia (gSP). METHODS: Our objective was to broaden the understanding of the social cognitive tendencies of individuals with gSP by systematically investigating their interpretation of positive facial expressions. We hypothesized that approachability ratings would be lower for positive as well as negative emotional faces in the gSP group compared to the healthy comparison group. Each participant evaluated 24 emotional faces presented on a computer screen. Participants first labeled the faces as either happy, disgust, or angry in emotional expression, and then they rated each face's approachability. Analysis of variance and post hoc analyses were used to identify group, emotion, and group by emotion rating differences. RESULTS: Happy face approachability ratings were higher than disgust and anger in both groups. The central finding was that individuals with gSP rated happy faces as less approachable than the healthy participants and that degree of social anxiety was associated with lower approachability ratings within the gSP sample. Explicit approachability judgments of negative faces did not differ as predicted. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with earlier indirect evidence of interpretation biases of positive social emotional information, this study reveals that individuals with gSP demonstrate explicit, subjective social interpretation biases of overtly positive social feedback. The therapeutic relevance of these results is discussed. SN - 1520-6394 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/19242987/Happy_but_not_so_approachable:_the_social_judgments_of_individuals_with_generalized_social_phobia_ L2 - https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20474 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -