Post-event processing and autobiographical memory in social anxiety: the influence of negative feedback and rumination.
Two experiments investigated the extent to which the content of feedback and the style of post-event processing are associated with a bias in the retrieval of autobiographical memories by individuals high in social anxiety. In each experiment high and low socially anxious individuals responded to questions about autobiographical experiences, participated in a task involving real or imagined social encounters, and then recalled autobiographical memories. In Experiment 1 (n=50) participants focused on positive or negative feedback following the social task, while in Experiment 2 (n=59) participants engaged in either a ruminative or reflective response style following the social task. Experiment 1 showed that negative feedback led to the recall of memories with a significantly greater average anxiety rating only in the high social anxiety group. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the high social anxiety group who engaged in a ruminative response style recalled memories with the highest average anxiety rating. Implications of these findings for understanding the role of post-event processing as a maintaining factor in social anxiety are discussed.
Morgan
Julie
J
Department of Psychology, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, UK. J.Morgan@kingston.ac.uk
Banerjee
Robin
R
D000328:Adult; D001325:Autobiographies as Topic; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011939:Mental Recall; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires