Brief Fear Of Negative Evaluation Research Articles

371 Fear of negative evaluation in hidradenitis suppurativa patients is correlated with worse quality of life

Introduction: Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) may be differentially impacted by social anxiety. We evaluated the tendency for HS patients to have social anxiety and assessed its impact on patient quality of life (QOL). Methods: A total of 63 respondents completed Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) survey to assesses social anxiety, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) survey to assess QOL and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess depression. Respondents were stratified on the median BFNE score 31.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa's Impact on Social Activities: An Observational Study.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) can severely impact patients’ quality of life. However, its specific impact on participation in everyday social activities is not well characterized. We recruited a cohort of patients with HS to complete a survey assessing the degree of interference HS has on participation in social activities. Patients also completed the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) to assess levels of social anxiety. The majority of patients in our cohort, regardless of Hurley Stage, reported interference with social activities, and patients with more painful nodules and greater body region involvement reported greater interference with social activities. BFNE scores were high in our cohort, and patients with higher BFNE scores reported greater interference in all social activities assessed. Both the physical and psychological effects of HS may interfere with patients’ participation in social activities, and efforts to treat both aspects may improve quality of life.

Resting autonomic activity in adults who stutter and its association with self-reports of social anxiety

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate resting autonomic activity in adults who stutter (AWS) compared to adults who do not stutter (ANS) and the relationship this has on self-reports of social anxiety. MethodsThirteen AWS and 15 ANS completed the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS; Mattick & Clark, 1998) and Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE; Leary, 1983). Following this, measures of skin conductance levels (i.e. index of sympathetic activity) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (i.e. index of parasympathetic activity) were taken during a 5-minute resting, baseline period. Independent sample t tests were used to assess differences between groups on self-reports of anxiety (SIAS, BFNE) and resting autonomic levels (SCL, RSA). Separate multiple regression analyses were performed in order to assess the relationship between self-reports of anxiety and autonomic measures. ResultsResults showed significantly higher mean SCL and lower mean RSA levels in the AWS compared to the ANS at resting, baseline. Regression analysis showed that self-reports from the SIAS had a significant effect on RSA levels for the AWS but not the ANS. No significant effects were found for BFNE on RSA. Nor was there a significant effect from SIAS or BFNE on SCL levels for either group. ConclusionFindings suggest that resting RSA levels may be a physiological marker for social anxiety levels in adults who stutter.

Negative attitude towards the appearance: Connection with eating behavior and social anxiety

IntroductionA negative attitude towards the body supposed to lead to eating disorders and to increase the level of social anxiety.ObjectivesThe research aim is to study the characteristics of eating behavior and social anxiety in women who have negative attitude towards their body.MethodsThe following methods have been used: Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ); Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26); Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE); Iowa–Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure (INCOM), Social avoidance and distress scale (SADS). The sample consists of 98 women in the age from 18 to 60 years belonged to three age groups: Group 1: N=41, mean age 21.0+3.1; Group 2: N=29, mean age 29,5+4,9; Group 3: N=28, mean age 47,5+12,5.ResultsWe have found out a statistically significant correlation between the negative attitude towards the body and the social anxiety. The more a woman dislike her appearance the higher is the level of social anxiety and the higher is the risk of eating disorders. It should be mentioned that all the negative tendencies are more prounouced in the youngest age group.ConclusionsThe research results can be implemented when designing prevention programs. Such programs are extremely important for young women in the age from 18 to 24 years as they have the highest risk of forming an eatind disorder as well as the social anxiety disorder.

Replication and extension of the link between the cardiovascular system and sensitivity to social pain in healthy adults

ABSTRACT Resting blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) are linked to physical pain. Research also shows a link between social pain and physical pain, and an inverse association between resting BP and social pain. However, little is known regarding the relationship between resting HRV and social pain. Therefore, the present study aimed to replicate the link between social pain and physical pain, and the inverse relationship between resting BP and social pain, and explore the relationship between resting HRV and social pain. One-hundred twenty three healthy adults completed 1) resting cardiovascular measurements of BP and low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) HRV powers, 2) social pain sensitivity assessment via the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) and Mehrabian’s Sensitivity to Rejection (MSR) scales, and 3) physical pain sensitivity assessment via subjective pain responses during cold pressor test. The results indicated that no association was observed between social pain and physical pain, whereas resting BP was inversely associated with the MSR scores. Resting LF-HRV was inversely associated with social pain, whereas resting HF-HRV was positively associated with social pain. These findings suggest that physical pain and social pain may share biological substrates that are involved in BP regulation and pain control.

Effects of Attentional Focus on Speech Motor Control in Adults Who Stutter and Its Relationship to Social Stress: A Pilot Project

Purpose The purpose of this pilot study was to assess speech motor variability in adults who stutter (AWS) compared to adults who do not stutter (ANS) when speaking under different attention focus condition with and without social stress. We also aimed to verify procedures and methods for eliciting social stress prior to the recruitment of a larger sample size. Method Three AWS (aged 24–32 years) and five ANS (aged 19–49 years) completed the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (Speilberger et al., 1983), the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (Mattick & Clark, 1998), and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (Leary, 1983). Participants were required to repeat sentences under internal and external attentional focus conditions as well as in front of an audience. Objective measures of social stress were obtained by measuring skin conductance levels (SCL), an index of sympathetic nervous system activity, before and during an audience condition. Measures of posterior tongue variability were used as a measure of articulatory coordination. Results Descriptive analysis revealed some of the AWS self-reported higher scores on tests of anxiety. SCL increased from baseline to social stress conditions in both AWS and ANS, supporting the use of this procedure for eliciting feelings of social stress. AWS showed higher levels of SCL compared to ANS during both baseline and social stress conditions. Descriptive analysis indicated notable between-groups differences for posterior tongue variability during attention focus and social stress conditions. Conclusions Our findings offer preliminary insights into the role attention may play as a contributing factor to the effects of social stress on speech motor control. Although individual response patterns varied, findings can be used to make inferences about the role of attention on speech motor control in AWS and ANS.

Effectiveness of a culturally adapted cognitive behavioural therapy-based guided self-help (CACBT-GSH) intervention to reduce social anxiety and enhance self-esteem in adolescents: a randomized controlled trial from Pakistan.

Social anxiety is common among adolescents in Pakistan and is associated with low self-esteem. Among the recommended treatments, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective, and self-help approaches are encouraged. To determine the effectiveness of culturally adapted CBT-based guided self-help (CACBT-GSH) intervention, using a manual 'Khushi aur Khatoon', for treating social anxiety when added to treatment as usual (TAU) compared with TAU only. A total of 76 adolescents with social anxiety aged 13-16 years from six schools in Multan, Pakistan were recruited into this randomized controlled trial. Participants were divided into intervention and control groups in a 1:1 ratio. Social anxiety, self-esteem and fear of negative evaluation were assessed through the Liebowtiz Social Anxiety Scale for children and adolescents, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation, respectively, at baseline and at the end of the study. Guided self-help using culturally adapted CBT (CACBT)-based self-help manual (eight sessions, one session per week) was provided to the intervention group. The effect of the CACBT-GSH intervention was analysed with ANCOVA. There was a statistically significant difference between the intervention and the control groups in favour of intervention. Participants in the intervention group showed reduced symptoms of social anxiety (p < .001), fear of negative evaluation (p < .001) and enhanced self-esteem (p < .001). The study demonstrated the effectiveness of CACBT-based guided self-help intervention in treating social anxiety and addressing the symptoms associated with it.

Relationships between psychoevolutionary fear of evaluation, cognitive distortions, and social anxiety symptoms: A preliminary structural equation model

Social anxiety disorder is a mental health condition that affects 4.7% of Australians each year. The complex interplay between psychoevolutionary and cognitive models has become the focus of research in recent years, particularly with the development of the bivalent fear of evaluation model (i.e., negative and positive evaluation fears). The present study aimed to test a model of social anxiety symptoms using structural equation modelling, integrating previously fragmented evidence. A sample of 255 participants (75.3% female; Mage = 31.9, SD = 10.3) undertook an online survey, including Social Phobia Scale, Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation—Straightforward, Fear of Positive Evaluation, Concerns of Social Reprisal, and Disqualifications of Positive Social Outcomes measures. The hypothesised model for social anxiety symptoms described the data reasonably well (χ2(1) = 4.917, p = .027, CFI = .995, GFI = .992, SRMR = .017), explaining 57.1% of social anxiety variance. Study hypotheses were supported with bivalent fear of evaluation accounting for unique variance in cognitive distortions, which in turn accounted for unique variation in social anxiety symptoms. Effect sizes indicate bivalent fears of evaluation and disqualification of positive social outcomes as important predictors of social anxiety symptoms. Although replication in a clinical cohort and experimental confirmation are needed, the findings suggest a focus on disqualification of positive social outcomes to alleviate social anxiety symptoms.

Fear of Negative Evaluation and Social Anxiety in Young Adults

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the brief fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety in young adults. Sample of 230 young adults (110=males, 120=females)was taken from different departments of Bahaudin Zakriya University Multan. The study aimed to check the correlation between fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety and differences in fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety among males and females as well as among undergraduate and post graduate students. Brief fear of negative evaluation scale (Leary, M. R., 1983) and Liebowitz social anxiety scale (Michael R. Liebowitz, 1987) was used. Findings revealed positive correlation between social anxiety and Brief fear of negative evaluation. The study concluded that fear of negative evaluation produce social anxiety in young adults (university students). Independent t test confirmed the significant difference among male, females as well as among undergraduate and post graduate on these two variables. Female students showed more fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety than male students; similarly, undergraduate students showed more social anxiety.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Factor Structure and Gender Invariance Testing for the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2)

This study aimed to provide further psychometric validation of the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2) by assessing the factor structure, invariance across gender, and convergent and divergent validity of the SAS-2 by correlating both related (i.e., anxiety sensitivity, brief fear of negative evaluation, intolerance of uncertainty, and negative affect) and unrelated constructs (i.e., positive affect, self-confidence). A total of 542 current and former competitive athletes completed a questionnaire through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk system. All data were collected via online survey. Participants were randomly assigned to an exploratory factor analysis (n = 271) and confirmatory factor analysis group (n = 271). Results indicated that both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the three-factor model of anxiety involving somatic anxiety, worry, and concentration disruption. Additionally, this study found the SAS-2 to be reliable, gender invariant, and have strong construct validity. Our findings extend the generalizability of the SAS-2 in more varied populations of athletic backgrounds.

Examining the Relation Between the Fear of Negative Evaluation and the Anxiety for Social Appearance in Folk Dancers

The purpose of this study was to analyze and examine the relationship between the fear of negative evaluation and the anxiety for social appearance in folk dancers. The relational survey method was used in the study. “The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) Scale”, which was developed by Leary (1983) and the “Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS)”, which was developed by Hart et al. (2008) were used as the data collection tools in the study. The participants of this study consisted of 215 volunteer folk dancers who were selected with random sampling method in Interuniversity Folk Dances Championship in 2016-2017.When the findings obtained in the study were examined in terms of demographical variables, there was significant difference in the gender, income levels and folk dance experience. According to the scores obtained in the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, it was determined that the dancers who spent most of their life at their villages, who had middle-level income, who were female, and who had less folk dance experience had higher average values. According to the correlation results between the scales, it was determined that there is a positive and high-level relation between social appearance anxiety and the fear of negative evaluation.

Convergent, incremental, and criterion-related validity of multi-informant assessments of adolescents' fears of negative and positive evaluation.

Adolescents who experience social anxiety tend to hold fears about negative evaluations (e.g., taunting) and may also hold fears about positive evaluations (e.g., praise from a teacher). The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) scale and Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale (FPES) are 2 widely used measures of adults' evaluative concerns. Yet we know little about their psychometric properties when assessing adolescents. In a mixed clinical/community sample of 96 adolescents (66.7% female; M=14.50years, SD=0.50; 63.3% African American), we examined both self-report and parent report versions of the BFNE and FPES. Adolescents and parents also provided reports about adolescents on survey measures of social anxiety and depressive symptoms. Adolescents participated in multiple social interactions in which they self-reported their state arousal before and during the tasks. Adolescent and parent BFNE and FPES reports distinguished adolescents who displayed elevated social anxiety from those who did not. Both informants' reports related to survey measures of adolescent social anxiety, when accounting for domains that commonly co-occur with social anxiety (i.e., depressive symptoms). Further, both the BFNE and FPES displayed incremental validity in relation to survey measures of adolescent social anxiety, relative to each other. However, only adolescents' BFNE and FPES reports predicted adolescents' self-reported arousal within social interactions, and only adolescents' FPES displayed incremental validity in predicting self-reported arousal, relative to their BFNE. Adolescent and parent BFNE and FPES reports display convergent validity and in some cases incremental and criterion-related validity. These findings have important implications for evidence-based assessments of adolescents' evaluative concerns.

Social appearance anxiety and fear of negative evaluation in college going students with acne vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is a common, chronic skin diseaseassociated withinflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions, often leading to scarring. The disease causes detrimental effect on psychological, psychosocial and physical well beingresulting in social appearance anxiety as well as fear of negative evaluation in such individuals; however its impact in Indian population has not been adequately evaluated. Present study was, therefore, aimed at evaluating social appearance anxiety and fear of negative evaluation in college going students with acne vulgaris. The study included 130 college going studentsbetween 18 to 25 years of age with acne vulgaris. Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (Hart et al., 2008) and Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (Leary, 1983) scale was used to evaluate social appearance anxiety and fear of negative evaluation respectively in individuals having acne from 3 months to more than 1 year. Both social appearance anxiety and fear of negative evaluation were positively correlated in all three-time periods. There was a significant difference in social appearance anxiety across three times, however there was no significant difference with respect to fear of negative evaluation during these periods. The study has thus shown that individuals suffering from acne vulgaris had social appearance anxiety and the fear of negative evaluation, which progressedwith the duration of the disease. Therefore, such individualsshould undergo psychological evaluation, and psychotherapeutic interventions along with pharmacological treatment of the disease. Also, the psychological evaluationand intervention should be an integral part of the treatment program.

Examination of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale–Version 2 and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale–Straightforward Items Factor Structure in a Sample of U.S. College Students

The current study examined the factor structure of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation–Straightforward Items (BFNE-S) and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation–Version 2 (BFNE-II) among 151 college students from the United States. Results indicated that the BFNE-S and the BFNE-II scores demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability. Single-group confirmatory factor analyses found that compared with the BFNE-II, the BFNE-S demonstrated a superior fit for the unitary theoretical model. Together, these findings suggest that the BFNE-S appears to be a better measure for assessing fear of negative evaluation in U.S. college students.

Peer Victimization and Social Anxiety: An Exploration of Coping Strategies as Mediators

This study examined the relationship between recalled peer victimization, coping styles, and current social anxiety. College students (N = 298, 87.9% female) completed a demographic questionnaire, the Recalled Victimization Questionnaire- Revised (RVQ-R), the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE), and the Coping Styles Questionnaire (CSQ). Three separate linear regression analyses were performed to test for mediation of coping style on the relationship among peer victimization and symptoms of social anxiety. Emotional coping was confirmed as a partially mediating variable between peer victimization and social anxiety through Sobel’s (1982) test for mediation. The results of this mediational analysis emphasize the importance of focusing on coping strategies among adolescents who experience peer victimization.

FMRI Study of Social Anxiety during Social Ostracism with and without Emotional Support.

Social anxiety is characterized by an excessive fear of being embarrassed in social interactions or social performance situations. Emotional support can help to decrease or diminish social distress. Such support may play an important role at different points of social interaction. However, it is unclear how the beneficial effects of social support are represented in the brains of socially anxious individuals. To explore this, we used the same paradigm previously used to examine the effects of emotional support on social pain caused by exclusion. Undergraduates (n = 46) showing a wide range of social anxiety scores underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while participating in a Cyberball game. Participants were initially included and later excluded from the game. In the latter half of the session in which participants were excluded, they were provided with supportive messages. In line with our previous work, we found that social exclusion led to increased anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity, whereas emotional support led to increased left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity. Despite validation of the paradigm, social anxiety was not associated with increased ACC activity during social exclusion, or during perceived emotional support. Instead, fear of negative evaluation as assessed by the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) scale showed positive associations with left DLPFC activation while receiving emotional support, compared to while being socially excluded. The more socially anxious an individual was, the greater was the left DLPFC activity increased during receipt of messages. This suggests that highly socially anxious people still have the ability to perceive social support, but that they are nevertheless susceptible to negative evaluation by others.

Proneness to social anxiety modulates neural complexity in the absence of exposure: A resting state fMRI study using Hurst exponent

To test the hypothesis that brain activity is modulated by trait social anxiety, we measured the Hurst Exponent (HE), an index of complexity in time series, in healthy individuals at rest in the absence of any social trigger. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series were recorded in 36 subjects at rest. All volunteers were healthy without any psychiatric, medical or neurological disorder. Subjects completed the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) to assess social anxiety and thoughts in social contexts. We also obtained the fractional Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations (fALFF) of the BOLD signal as an independent control measure for HE data. BFNE scores correlated positively with HE in the posterior cingulate/precuneus, while LSAS scores correlated positively with HE in the precuneus, in the inferior parietal sulci and in the parahippocamus. Results from fALFF were highly consistent with those obtained using LSAS and BFNE to predict HE. Overall our data indicate that spontaneous brain activity is influenced by the degree of social anxiety, on a continuum and in the absence of social stimuli. These findings suggest that social anxiety is a trait characteristic that shapes brain activity and predisposes to different reactions in social contexts.

Brief cognitive behavior therapy in patients with social anxiety disorder: a preliminary investigation.

Context:Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is the treatment of choice in anxiety disorders. However, there is little evidence for the effectiveness brief CBT in social anxiety.Aims:We examined the effectiveness of a brief CBT of six sessions in patients with social anxiety disorder.Settings and Design:A single case design study baseline; post and 1 month follow-up was adopted.Materials and Methods:Seven patients with a DSM IV diagnosis of social anxiety underwent 6 weekly sessions of brief CBT. Their diagnosis was confirmed using structured diagnostic interviews. They were assessed at baseline, post and 1-month follow-up on CGI- Severity, Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), Social Phobia Rating Scale, Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation, and Beck's Depression Inventory.Statistical Analysis:Data were analyzed using the method of clinical significance.Results:Results indicated that brief CBT was effective in reducing social anxiety in all patients. Brief CBT was also effective in reducing social avoidance and self consciousness. However, brief CBT was not effective in reducing fear of negative evaluation in all patients, suggesting the need for longer duration for cognitive changes in some dysfunctional beliefs.Conclusions:This preliminary case series indicates that brief CBT may be a promising and a cost and time effective approach to managing for social anxiety.

Сравнение способности к ментализации у больных шизофренией и шизоаффективным психозом на основе методики «Понимание психического состояния по глазам»

We present the data of the survey of patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective psychosis and a group of mentally healthy people using the test «Understanding the mental state of the eyes» («Eyes test») by Baron-Cohen, aimed at assessing the capacity for mentalization. We describe the procedure for selecting the most valid test cards for Russian sample of subjects. It is shown that the results of the test «Eyes» of schizoaffective disorder patients are intermediate between patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects, 1. ability for mentalization they save more than patients with schizophrenia. The findings are discussed in the context of theoretical models of the spectrum of mental pathology. The data of the survey of patients and healthy subjects, additional procedures aimed at identifying the communication capacity for mentalization with the severity of psychopathology (Hospital scale questionnaire SCL-90-R) and social motivation in the form of focus on the contact with others and the ability to enjoy them (The scale of social avoidance and distress scale Brief fear of negative evaluation, social anhedonia scale), as well as focus on the mental and emotional sphere of life (Toronto alexithymia scale). Based on the correlation analysis of the data concludes that there is a statistically significant inverse association between the ability to mentalization, on the one hand, and the severity of psychopathology and the reduction of social orientation – on the other

An Examination of the Measurement Equivalence of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale Across Individuals Who Identify With an Asian Ethnicity and Individuals Who Identify With a European Ethnicity

A body of research has demonstrated that individuals with Asian ethnicity endorse higher levels of fear of negative evaluation compared with individuals with European ethnicity. To date, no study has examined whether this Asian-European difference may be confounded by the differential interpretation of the measures of fear of negative evaluation by the two groups. The current study thus aimed to examine the measurement equivalence of the 12-item Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) scale and its 8-item variant composed of straightforwardly worded items (BFNE-S) in a sample of individuals who identified with a Chinese ethnicity (n = 204) and a sample of individuals who identified with an Anglo ethnicity (n = 528). Measurement equivalence across the samples was obtained for a two-factor BFNE model and a one-factor BFNE-S model. However, the BFNE-S model demonstrated superior fit to the data. Using the BFNE-S, we found that the Chinese ethnicity sample scored significantly higher on the latent dimension of fear of negative evaluation compared with the Anglo ethnicity sample (d = 0.24). These findings disambiguate previous research on Asian-European differences in fear of negative evaluation and highlight the need for the continued examination of the validity of measures across different ethnicities and cultures.