HOW DO I LOOK WITH MY MINDS EYE - PERSPECTIVE-TAKING IN SOCIAL PHOBICIMAGERY

This study explored perspective taking in social phobics' images of pa st anxiety-provoking social situations and non-social situations. For images of social situations, social phobics were significantly more li kely than non-patient controls to take an observer perspective, viewin g themselves as if from an external point of view. In contrast, social phobics and controls did not differ in the perspective taken in image s of non-social situations, which were generally viewed from a field p erspective (seeing the situation as if looking out through their own e yes). The clinical significance of these findings is briefly discussed . (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.