University of Wyoming, Department of Psychology, Dept. 3415, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
Behav Res Ther. 2010 Apr;48(4):282-9. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2009.11.007. Epub 2009 Nov 18.
Cognitive-behavioral theory suggests that social phobia is maintained, in part, by overestimates of the probability and cost of negative social events. Indeed, empirically supported cognitive-behavioral treatments directly target these cognitive biases through the use of in vivo exposure or behavioral experiments. While cognitive-behavioral theories and treatment protocols emphasize the importance of targeting probability and cost biases in the reduction of social anxiety, few studies have examined specific techniques for reducing probability and cost bias, and thus the relative efficacy of exposure to the probability versus cost of negative social events is unknown. In the present study, 37 undergraduates with high public speaking anxiety were randomly assigned to a single-session intervention designed to reduce either the perceived probability or the perceived cost of negative outcomes associated with public speaking. Compared to participants in the probability treatment condition, those in the cost treatment condition demonstrated significantly greater improvement on measures of public speaking anxiety and cost estimates for negative social events. The superior efficacy of the cost treatment condition was mediated by greater treatment-related changes in social cost estimates. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
认知行为理论表明，社交恐惧症在一定程度上是由于对负面社交事件的可能性和代价的高估所致。事实上，经过实证支持的认知行为治疗方法确实通过使用现场暴露或行为实验来直接针对这些认知偏差。虽然认知行为理论和治疗方案强调在减少社交焦虑方面，针对可能性和代价偏差的重要性，但很少有研究探讨减少可能性和代价偏差的具体技术，因此，暴露于负面社交事件的可能性与代价的相对疗效是未知的。在本研究中，37 名有高度公众演讲焦虑的大学生被随机分配到一个单疗程干预中，该干预旨在降低与公众演讲相关的负面结果的感知可能性或感知代价。与可能性处理条件下的参与者相比，成本处理条件下的参与者在衡量公众演讲焦虑和负面社交事件成本估计方面有显著更大的改善。成本处理条件的优越疗效是由社会成本估计的治疗相关变化介导的。讨论了这些发现的临床意义。
