Social anxiety and self-other biases in causal attribution

Abstract

Causal attributions of three groups of subjects varying in social anxiety according to the Social Interaction Self-Statement Test were assessed, either from the perspective of the self or from the viewpoint of another person in three negative situations. Interactions between self-other perspective and anxiety reached significance for the stability and globality dimensions as well as for affect. These interactions supported the major hypothesis that self—other biases in causal attribution, typically reported in the social psychological literature which are favorable to the self, are absent or reversed in situations which are problematic for socially anxious individuals. The main effect of perspective was modified by the above interactions and indicated that the typical self-other bias was demonstrated but only in the low-anxious group. The expectancy variable showed only main effects of perspective and, anxiety. Higher anxious groups had higher expectancies for the occurrence of the negative events. Expectancies were higher for others than for the self. There were no significant main effects or interactions for the causal dimensions of locus and control. A general implication of the present data is that adequate adjustment may require attributionaJ sets which enhance one's sense of competency relative to others. Furthermore, attribution-based approaches to counseling may need to focus on a network of causal ascriptions and specifically address self-other discrepancies in perceptions of causality.