How Do People Perceive the Disclosure of Emotion?
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
How Do People Perceive the Disclosure of Emotion? Bethany A. Gee • Martin M. Antony Naomi Koerner
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Published online: 9 November 2012 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2012
Abstract The purpose of the current study was to examine how individuals high or low in social anxiety perceive the disclosure of anxiety as compared to the disclosure of other emotions, and how one’s own level of social anxiety influences these perceptions. Participants low (n = 78) or high (n = 83) in social anxiety watched one of four videos in which the target individual either did not disclose an emotion, disclosed feeling anxious, disclosed feeling sad, or disclosed feeling happy. Participants then rated the target individual on various characteristics. It was found that participants rated the target individual who disclosed anxiety as more awkward and less socially skilled, as compared to when she did not disclose an emotion. No differences were found among ratings of the target individual who disclosed other emotions; hence, it appears that these negative judgments may be specific to the disclosure of anxiety when one does not appear anxious. Keywords (Social) anxiety Emotions Disclosure Perceptions Judgment
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association 2000) as a marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which an individual is concerned about acting in a way that will be embarrassing or humiliating. However, the DSM-IV-TR does not appear to adequately capture the complexity and interplay of the social and contextual factors involved in B. A. Gee M. M. Antony (&) N. Koerner Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada e-mail: [email protected]
SAD in its description and criteria for diagnosis. Additionally, there appears to be an overall paucity of literature on social interactions and relationships among socially anxious individuals. According to prominent cognitive models of SAD (e.g., Clark and Wells 1995; Hofmann 2007; Rapee and Heimberg 1997), individuals with SAD strongly desire to create a positive impression of themselves on others, but doubt their ability to do so. Although socially anxious individuals fear negative evaluation, they unfortunately tend to be perceived more negatively by close others as well as by acquaintances and strangers. They are perceived by their friends and families to be less likeable, less easy to talk to, and less sympathetic (e.g., Jones and Carpenter 1986). Similarly, in first-time meeting situations, they are judged to be less likeable and comfortable to be around (Meleshko and Alden 1993), and less friendly and less attractive (Jones and Russell 1982). This negative response from others likely contributes to the maintenance of the socially anxious individual’s belief that social situations are threatening, and confirms that their fear of negative evaluation is warranted. One
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