Dealing with Rejection: Post-Event Processing in Social Anxiety and Paranoia

Abstract

Social anxiety and paranoia both involve a 'fear of others' and often co-occur. Post-event processing (PEP), the mental replaying of social events after their conclusion, may be related to both psychological states, although there has been little test of this premise for paranoia. This study examined PEP after social exclusion as a function of social anxiety and paranoia and the potential moderating role of state anger at three time-points. PEP predicted PEP at later time-points, social anxiety and paranoia predicted greater engagement in PEP, and paranoia amplified levels of PEP at higher levels of social anxiety. State anger moderated the relationship between paranoia and PEP, but not between social anxiety and PEP. These results corroborate the transdiagnostic nature of PEP and underscore the co-occurring relationship of paranoia and social anxiety. Future research is necessary to elucidate shared mechanisms between social anxiety and paranoia to advance models, treatments, and prevention efforts.

Mechanisms Linking Perfectionism and Social Anxiety: The Role of Hostility and Disqualification of Positive Social Outcomes

“…35 It serves not only to confirm the negative view individuals have of themselves in social situations, 36 but it may also lead them to develop hostile beliefs regarding others in social situations. 37 Hostile attribution biases may then, either independently or in combination with fear of evaluation, exacerbate the social anxiety. 38…”

“…This postevent processing involves rumination that includes negative automatic thoughts, cognitive biases, and dysfunctional beliefs about the self and previous social interactions 35. It serves not only to confirm the negative view individuals have of themselves in social situations,36 but it may also lead them to develop hostile beliefs regarding others in social situations 37. Hostile attribution biases may then, either independently or in combination with fear of evaluation, exacerbate the social anxiety 38…”