Social phobic interoception: effects of bodily information on anxiety, beliefs and self-processing

It has been suggested that body-state information influences self-perceptio n and negative thinking in social phobia [Clark, D. M., & Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In R. G. Heimberg, M. R. Liebowitz, D. A. Hope & F. R. Schneier (Eds.), Social phobia: diagnosis, assessment ann treatment (pp. 69-93). New York: Guilford Press.]. This study explored the effects of body-state information on anxiety and cognition in patients with generalised social phobia during a feared social interaction. It was hypot hesised that information concerning an increase in pulse rate would lead to increments in anxiety, negative beliefs and self-processing whilst informa tion concerning a decrease in pulse rate would have the opposite effect. Th e results of this study were generally consistent with the hypotheses. Thes e findings are important as they may help to account for fluctuations in an xiety, negative beliefs and self-processing in social situations that do no t present objective social threat. In particular, social anxiety appears to be modulated by body-state information. The implications of the present fi ndings for cognitive therapy of social phobia are briefly discussed. (C) 20 00 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.