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Decentering as a Common Link among Mindfulness, Cognitive Reappraisal, and Social Anxiety

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2012

Sarah Hayes-Skelton  and
Jessica Graham
Sarah Hayes-Skelton*
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts Boston, USA
Jessica Graham
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts Boston, USA
*
Reprint requests to Sarah Hayes-Skelton, University of Massachusetts Boston – Psychology, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, Massachusetts 02125, USA. E-mail: sarah.hayes@umb.edu
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Abstract

Background: The tendency to employ both cognitive reappraisal and mindfulness are associated with reduced trait social anxiety; however, it is unclear whether reappraisal and mindfulness are associated with social anxiety through the same mechanisms. It has been proposed that decentering, or the process of seeing thoughts or feelings as objective events in the mind rather than personally identifying with them, may be a key mechanism underlying both cognitive reappraisal and mindfulness. Aims: To examine the relationships between reappraisal, mindfulness, decentering, and social anxiety. Method: This study utilized structural equation modeling to examine the relationships among cognitive reappraisal, mindfulness, decentering, and social anxiety in a large cross-sectional study. Results: Results indicate that the relationship between mindfulness and social anxiety is partially accounted for by decentering, whereas the relationship between cognitive reappraisal and social anxiety is more fully accounted for by decentering. Conclusions: These results imply that decentering may be a common mechanism underlying both cognitive reappraisal and mindfulness, although mindfulness may also affect social anxiety through additional mechanisms. However, given the cross-sectional nature of these findings, results should be considered preliminary, with future research being needed to further elucidate these relationships.

Keywords

Social anxietymindfulnesscognitive appraisals
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 41 , Issue 3 , May 2013 , pp. 317 - 328
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2012

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