A COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL MODEL OF ANXIETY IN SOCIAL PHOBIA

The current paper presents a model of the experience of anxiety in soc ial/evaluative situations in people with social phobia. The model desc ribes the manner in which people with social phobia perceive and proce ss information related to potential evaluation and the way in which th ese processes differ between people high and low in social anxiety. It is argued that distortions and biases in the processing of social/eva luative information lead to heightened anxiety in social situations an d, in turn, help to maintain social phobia. Potential etiological fact ors as well as treatment implications are also discussed. (C) 1997 Els evier Science Ltd.