title: Effect of self-focused attention on post-event processing in social anxiety.
abstract: The study investigated the relationship between self-focused attention (SFA) and post-event processing (PEP) in social anxiety. SFA is the process of directing attention to internal stimuli during a social interaction. PEP is a detailed review of performance following an interaction. Highly socially anxious students (N = 82) were randomly assigned to a high SFA (n = 40) or low SFA condition (n = 42) and completed baseline measures of social anxiety, depression, trait SFA, and trait rumination. After SFA was manipulated via instructions, participants engaged in a 5-min unstructured conversation with a confederate, followed by a manipulation check. PEP was assessed the next day online. The high SFA group reported a similar amount of positive PEP but more frequent negative PEP over the 24-h period compared to the low SFA group. These results provide support for a causal relationship between SFA and PEP and have important applications for the development of effective cognitive-behavioural interventions.
authors.affiliation: Wilfrid Laurier University, Department of Psychology, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Darya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gaydukevych
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Kocovski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001288:Attention; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult