How am I going to tell you this? The relations between social anxiety and narrative coherence

Bibliographic Data

ID21602016
AuthorsLauranne Vanaken (0000-0002-7793-9732, KU Leuven, corresponding author), Dirk Hermans (0000-0003-4497-3982, KU Leuven)
Year2020
Volume28
Issue10
Pages1191-1203
Publication date2020-11-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMemory (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0965-8211 • E-ISSN: 1464-0686
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09658211.2020.1826971
PMID33023378
OpenAlexW3091934933
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited83

Recently, evidence has been increasing that individuals who are able to narrate coherently about their autobiographical memories, receive more positive social feedback, have higher-quality social relationships and are overall less likely to suffer from internalising psychopathology, like depression and anxiety. However, the relation between narrative coherence and social anxiety, in particular, has not been topic of research until now. This is remarkable, since the concern about negative evaluations by others in social situations is at the core of social anxiety. In the present experimental study (N = 68), we investigated in a two-by-two design how trait and state social anxiety are related to narrative coherence, as well as possible underlying mechanisms. In our study, neither trait nor state social anxiety, nor their interaction had the expected detrimental effect on narrative coherence. However, trait differences in the proposed mechanisms of social anxiety were in line with the literature. Results showed that trait social anxiety and thematic narrative coherence were indirectly negatively related, via the intervening effects of an increased internal focus on anxiety cues, an excessive external focus on negative social evaluation, larger working memory load, more rumination and more depressive symptoms. Limitations and recommendations for future research are addressed

Anxiety · Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Linguistics · Narrative · Psychiatry · Psychopathology · Rumination · Social anxiety · Social relation · Trait · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Clinical Psychology · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Psychology · Social Psychology