Gaze Avoidance Explains the Association Between Anxiety Sensitivity Social Concerns and Social Anxiety

Abstract

Anxiety sensitivity (AS), the fear of fear, has been proposed as a transdiagnostic feature of anxiety disorders. AS social concerns is a dimension of AS that involves worry about the social consequences of anxiety symptoms. Although AS social concerns has been linked to social anxiety both theoretically and empirically, few studies have considered processes that may explain this association. AS social concerns may be associated with avoidance of eye contact (gaze avoidance), which in turn may be associated with greater social anxiety. This hypothesis was tested using a sample of 190 undergraduate students. Self-reported gaze avoidance partially explained the association between AS social concerns and social anxiety. The model remained significant when controlling for other AS dimensions, general anxiety, and depression symptoms. The model was not moderated by race (Black, White), a finding which partially addresses the need to test how well theories apply to diverse populations. The findings advance cognitive frameworks of social anxiety by suggesting that gaze avoidance may explain associations between risk factors and symptoms. Additional research is needed to examine whether interventions that increase eye contact may weaken the association between AS social concerns and social anxiety.