THE IMPACT OF PANIC EXPECTANCY AND SOCIAL DEMAND ON AGORAPHOBIC AVOIDANCE

The relationship between panic expectancy, social demand and agoraphob ic avoidance was investigated in a group of 48 panic disorder subjects . Subjects were observed surreptitiously while completing a naturalist ic behavioral avoidance task (BAT) involving either a high or low soci al challenge task. Subjects in the high social challenge task avoided more compared to subjects in the low social challenge task. Prediction of panic made before entering the situation and type of social challe nge condition (high/low) were the only variables that accounted for si gnificant amounts of unique variance in prediction of BAT score. The r esults confirm previous findings regarding the relationship between pa nic expectancy and avoidance and suggest that social interaction and s crutiny is a factor in avoidance. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.