ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2013, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (12): 2196-2203.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2013.02196

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Interpretation Bias in Social Anxiety: Research Paradigms, Characteristics and Modification

LI Tao;FENG Fei   

  1. (1 School of Public Management, South-Central University for Nationalities; 2 Schoool of Marxism, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China)
  • Received:2013-05-13 Online:2013-12-15 Published:2013-12-15
  • Contact: LI Tao

Abstract:

Social anxious individuals usually show an important cognitive bias-interpretation bias, which refers to the tendency to interpret social situations in a more negative or threatening way. The present paper firstly introduced the paradigms usually used in this research field: homophone and homograph paradigm, ambiguous vignettes paradigm, reaction time paradigm and word sentence association paradigm. Then it summarized the characteristics of the interpretation bias in social anxiety, and expounded how attentional bias, attachment relationships, developmental experiences and reinforcement sensitivity of personality influenced interpretation bias. Finally, it proposed future directions: (1) the applicability of research paradigms; (2) the specificity of interpretation bias in social anxiety; (3) neurobiological researches of interpretation bias in social anxiety; (4) the different effects of positive and negative interpretations on social anxiety; (5) the effect of interpretation modification in socially anxious participants.

Key words: social anxiety, interpretation bias, attentional bias, modification of interpretation bias