Centre for Clinical Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Psych J. 2020 Oct;9(5):716-725. doi: 10.1002/pchj.352. Epub 2020 Feb 20.
Biased evaluation fears and paranoid thoughts lead to various safety behaviors that are the cardinal features and perpetuating factors of social anxiety. The present study aimed to emphasize evaluative and paranoid thoughts that predispose and maintain this growing psychological condition. A cross-sectional research design was employed to explore the relationship between social comparison, paranoid social cognitions, and submissive behaviors in patients with social anxiety. Furthermore, predictive effects of social comparison and paranoid ideation on submissiveness, along with mediating factors, were assessed in a clinical sample. The study sample consisted of 100 treatment-seeking female patients of social anxiety (M = 25.21 years), recruited through purposive sampling. The findings revealed significant correlations between social comparison, paranoid social cognitions, and submissive behaviors. Rank, a subscale of social comparison, and paranoid social cognitions turned out as predictive factors of submissive behaviors. A novel finding is that paranoid social cognitions mediate the relationship between social comparison and submissive behaviors in socially anxious individuals. Study results will assist clinicians to devise effective management plans for patients by comprehending possible causes of submissiveness and considering paranoid ideation as a manifestation of social anxiety.
偏见评估恐惧和偏执思维导致了各种安全行为，这些行为是社交焦虑的主要特征和持续因素。本研究旨在强调评估和偏执思维，这些思维促使并维持这种日益增长的心理状况。采用横断面研究设计来探讨社交比较、偏执社会认知与社交焦虑患者顺从行为之间的关系。此外，还评估了社会比较和偏执观念对顺从性的预测作用以及中介因素，研究样本包括通过目的性抽样招募的 100 名寻求治疗的社交焦虑女性患者（M = 25.21 岁）。研究结果显示，社交比较、偏执社会认知与顺从行为之间存在显著相关性。社会比较的等级分量表和偏执社会认知是顺从行为的预测因素。一个新的发现是，偏执社会认知在社交焦虑个体中中介了社会比较与顺从行为之间的关系。研究结果将帮助临床医生通过理解顺从性的可能原因，并将偏执观念视为社交焦虑的表现，为患者制定有效的管理计划。
