title: Social Anxiety, Affect, Cortisol Response and Performance on a Speech Task.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social anxiety is characterized by increased emotional reactivity to social stimuli, but results of studies focusing on affective reactions of socially anxious subjects in the situation of social exposition are inconclusive, especially in the case of endocrinological measures of affect.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was designed to examine individual differences in endocrinological and affective reactions to social exposure as well as in performance on a speech task in a group of students (n = 44) comprising subjects with either high or low levels of social anxiety. Measures of salivary cortisol and positive and negative affect were taken before and after an impromptu speech. Self-ratings and observer ratings of performance were also obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cortisol levels and negative affect increased in both groups after the speech task, and positive affect decreased; however, group × affect interactions were not significant. Assessments conducted after the speech task revealed that highly socially anxious participants had lower observer ratings of performance while cortisol increase and changes in self-reported affect were not related to performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Socially anxious individuals do not differ from nonanxious individuals in affective reactions to social exposition, but reveal worse performance at a speech task.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Wladyslaw
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Losiak
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blaut
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klosowska
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Slowik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D057566:Self Report; D013060:Speech; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone