著者

小澤 崇将 長谷川 晃

出版者

日本感情心理学会

雑誌

感情心理学研究 (ISSN:18828817)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.25, no.1, pp.17-25, 2017-10-31 (Released:2018-03-16)

参考文献数

28

被引用文献数

2

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Possible effects of two forms of self-focus driven by different motives, self-rumination and self-reflection, on symptoms of social anxiety, were investigated. Undergraduates (N=200) completed the Rumination–Reflection Questionnaire, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), Short Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (SFNE), and Interpersonal Stress Event Scale on two occasions with an interval of four weeks. Results indicated that self-rumination in the first session significantly predicted the subsequent increase in fear of negative evaluation assessed with the SFNE, even after controlling for the intensity of initial symptoms. This finding is consistent with previous studies showing that self-focus is a major factor in maintaining social anxiety. On the other hand, self-reflection in the first session predicted a decrease in subsequent avoidance behaviors from social situations assessed with the LSAS. These findings indicate that self-focus motivated by curiosity or an epistemic interest in the self might enable people to reconsider tendencies of avoiding social situations, which may prevent behavioral tendencies of avoidance. These findings suggested that motivations driving self-focus could determine its effects on the symptoms of social anxiety.