‘They Are Laughing at Me Because I Am Stupid’Examining Cognitive Models in Adolescents: The Relationship Between Negative Beliefs about the Self, Interpretation Bias and Social Anxiety
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2018-02-05
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en
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Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed anxiety disorders and has its onset in adolescence. Nonetheless, there is a lack of theoretical understanding of SAD and its underlying cognitive factors in adolescents. The present study aimed to contribute to this by investigating some understudied cognitive factors in adolescents of which the importance was suggested by prominent adult cognitive models of SAD. It focused on a community sample to see whether these factors are involved when social anxiety has not (yet) reached a clinical form. The current study investigated whether more negative beliefs about the self and stronger negative interpretation bias for ambiguous social situations were related to more social anxiety. Moreover, this study was the first to explore whether negative interpretation bias functioned as a mediator between negative beliefs about the self and social anxiety, as suggested by adult cognitive models. Ninety-two adolescents completed questionnaires regarding beliefs about themselves, interpretation bias and social anxiety. Results showed that more negative self-beliefs and stronger negative interpretation bias were both associated with more social anxiety. Moreover, results supported the mediating role of interpretation bias in the relationship between negative beliefs about the self and social anxiety. With this, the present study has suggested the applicability of some aspects of adult cognitive models to adolescents and has suggested possible risk factors contributing to SAD. Additionally, it has underlined the importance of studying cognitive factors conjointly to be able to reach a comprehensive understanding of social anxiety.
Keywords: interpretation bias, self-beliefs, social anxiety, adolescence
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen