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Dissertation
Cognitive bias in adolescents with social anxiety disorder
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University
Dec 2001
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00008343
Abstract
Judgmental biases for threat-relevant stimuli are thought to be important mechanisms underlying the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders. Previous research has shown that adults with social anxiety disorder provide higher probability and greater cost estimates of negative social situations than do nonanxious adults. That is, adults with social anxiety disorder rate negative social events as more likely (probability) to occur as well as more distressing (cost). However, no empirical research has examined the cognitive processes of social anxiety disorder in the adolescent population. A growing body of research suggests that adolescence is a critical period in the development of social anxiety disorder. Elucidation of the cognitive processes of social anxiety disorder, in the adolescent population may aid in a better understanding of the etiology and maintenance of the disorder, as well as provide direction for treatment and prevention efforts. This study investigated the judgmental differences, specifically probability and cost estimations, of negative social and nonsocial events between adolescents with social anxiety disorder and adolescents without social anxiety disorder. Results indicate that adolescents with social anxiety disorder do in fact have specific judgment biases for negative social situations. Socially phobic adolescents overestimated the cost and probability of negative social events compared to nonanxious adolescents, after controlling for depressive symptoms. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.
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Details
- Title
- Cognitive bias in adolescents with social anxiety disorder
- Creators
- Alyssa Ann Rheingold
- Contributors
- James D. Herbert (Advisor) - Drexel University, Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University (1993-1996, 1998-2002)
- Awarding Institution
- Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- vi, 115 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Clinical and Health Psychology [Historical]; Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University (1993-1996, 1998-2002); College of Nursing and Health Professions (2000-2002)
- Other Identifier
- 991021888773604721