SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS, SELF-FOCUSED ATTENTION, BLUSHING PROPENSITY AND FEAR OF BLUSHING

Although it is generally assumed that attentional focus is an importan t factor in blushing, thus far studies have presented conflicting resu lts concerning the relationship between aspects of blushing and indice s of attentional focus. This study investigated the connection between self-focused attention and self-consciousness on the one hand and blu shing propensity, fear of blushing and blushing frequency on the other hand. Public self-consciousness correlated slightly with blushing pro pensity and fear of blushing, whereas no correlation between private s elf-consciousness and aspects of blushing was found. A substantial cor relation was found between self-focused attention and both blushing pr opensity and fear of blushing. After partialling out blushing propensi ty and fear of blushing, blushing frequency was unrelated to public se lf-consciousness and self-focused attention. Blushing propensity and s elf-focused attention directed to one's arousal were significant predi ctors of fear of blushing. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.