Effects of safety behavior fading on social anxiety and emotional disclosure

Abstract

Individuals with social anxiety disorder commonly engage in safety behaviors (SBs), which are behavioral and cognitive strategies employed in an effort to avoid or decrease the likelihood of a feared threat outcome and decrease anxiety in social situations. These behaviors are thought to be dysfunctional and play a key role in contemporary models of the disorder. The current experimental study sought to expand upon existing research by examining the role of SBs in social anxiety and self-disclosure. Participants with elevated social anxiety symptoms (N = 115) were randomized to either a two-week SB fading manipulation or a no-instruction control. Self-report measures were administered pre- and post-manipulation, and participants completed an in-vivo speech task at post. SB fading led to lower social anxiety symptoms at post relative to the control. SB fading also led to greater self-reported openness to general self-disclosure and emotional disclosure compared to the control, though these effects were modest. No condition effect on emotional reactivity to a speech task was observed. SB fading led to greater observer-rated disclosure on the speech task than control, though this was only found among those high in dispositional self-disclosure at baseline. The present study provides further evidence for the importance of SBs in social anxiety and suggests SB fading might lead to greater comfort with self-disclosure. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.