BLUSHING AND SOCIAL PHOBIA - A NEUROETHOLOGICAL SPECULATION

Blushing is a well-known but relatively poorly understood phenomenon T his paper reviews the phenomenology, neurobiology, and psychology of b lushing. We argue that a neuroethological understanding of blushing pr ovides a useful explanation of many aspects of normal blushing, and le ads to a useful account of social phobia. More specifically, we argue that social phobia can be conceptualized in terms of an inappropriate appeasement display.