Interpretation Bias and Social Anxiety

Socially anxious (SA) individuals interpret ambiguous social events negatively. It is not clear, however, whether this bias is due to general distress (e.g., depression and general anxiety) or level of social anxiety. In the current study we conducted two experiments examining interpretation bias in SA individuals using videos. Each video involved an actor or actress who approached the camera and commented on some aspect of the individual’s belongings or actions. Twenty-four (24) videos were ambiguous (e.g., “That is an interesting shirt you have on”), 24 were positive (e.g., “I really like your shoes”), and 24 were negative (e.g., “That is a horrible hair cut”). Participants were instructed to rate the emotional valance of each video as to how they would feel in that situation. SA individuals rated the valance of ambiguous social interactions as more negative than did nonanxious individuals. Moreover, SA individuals maintained this bias when compared to a high trait anxious and dysphoric control group. These findings demonstrate the unique role of social anxiety in the biased interpretation of ambiguous social interactions.