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The Impact of Self-Imagery on Affective, Cognitive, and Attentional Processes in Social Phobia: A Comprehensive Literature Review of the Theoretical and Empirical Literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2014

Ashlen S. Ng  and
Maree J. Abbott
Ashlen S. Ng
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Maree J. Abbott*
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Maree J. Abbott, Clinical Psychology Unit (K01), School of Psychology, University of Sydney NSW 2006, Australia. Email: maree.abbott@sydney.edu.au
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Abstract

Social Phobia (SP) is a psychological disorder characterised by an excessive and persistent fear of negative evaluation in social or performance situations that interferes with daily functioning. Cognitive models of SP (Clark & Wells, 1995; Hofmann, 2007; Rapee & Heimberg, 1997) emphasise the role of negative images of the self as an important factor in the maintenance of SP. While empirical research has demonstrated the link between negative self-imagery and social anxiety, many aspects of this cognitive factor are yet to be understood. Currently, there is limited research investigating the impact of different types of self-imagery and their effects on social anxiety and performance. Further research assessing the relationships between self-imagery and other maintaining processes proposed in cognitive models is also warranted. This review assesses the literature focusing on self-imagery in social anxiety, including qualitative, empirical, and preliminary treatment studies to date. Recommendations for future research and the use of imagery-based rescripting methods in the treatment of SP are also discussed.

Keywords

social phobiasocial anxiety disordersocial anxietyself-imagerymental imageryself-representation
Type
Standard Papers
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 31 , Issue 3 , September 2014 , pp. 159 - 174
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Australian Academic Press Pty Ltd 2014 

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