Gerlach Alexander L, Mourlane Denis, Rist Fred
Department of Psychology, Institute I-Psychological Assessment and Clinical Psychology, Westfalian Wilhelms University of Münster, Munster, Germany.
Cogn Behav Ther. 2004;33(1):36-45. doi: 10.1080/16506070310014682.
According to cognitive behavioural models of social phobia, bodily symptoms are the main source of information concerning social evaluation for social phobics. Experience and perception of bodily symptoms therefore play an important role in social anxiety. In this study we evaluated the effects of anxiety visibility on patients and controls using feedback of veridical heart sounds. A total of 32 social phobics and 32 controls were asked twice to sit in a chair and appear relaxed while being evaluated. Half of the participants heard their heart sounds first via headphones and then via loudspeakers which were also audible to observers. The presentation order of the heart sound was reversed for the other half of the subjects. Social phobics reported substantially more anxiety than controls. Both groups showed habituation in heart rate from the first to the second presentation, and both groups reported perception of a higher heart rate, but only social phobics reported significantly more anxiety and were more worried about their heart rates in the public than in the private condition. These effects were in excess of actual heart rate differences. In conclusion, social phobics worried about the broadcast of a bodily anxiety symptom, whereas controls did not. Information about arousal made public has a strong potential to increase anxiety levels in social phobics.
根据社交恐惧症的认知行为模型，身体症状是社交恐惧症患者有关社会评价的主要信息来源。因此，身体症状的体验和感知在社交焦虑中起着重要作用。在本研究中，我们使用真实心音反馈评估了焦虑可见性对患者和对照组的影响。总共32名社交恐惧症患者和32名对照组被要求两次坐在椅子上，在接受评估时表现得放松。一半的参与者先通过耳机听到自己的心音，然后通过扬声器听到，观察者也能听到。另一半受试者的心音呈现顺序相反。社交恐惧症患者报告的焦虑明显多于对照组。两组在第一次到第二次呈现时心率都出现了习惯化，两组都报告感觉到心率更高，但只有社交恐惧症患者报告在公共场合比在私人场合焦虑明显更多，并且更担心自己的心率。这些影响超过了实际心率差异。总之，社交恐惧症患者担心身体焦虑症状被广播，而对照组则不然。公开的唤醒信息有很大可能会增加社交恐惧症患者的焦虑水平。
