Interpersonal motivations in social anxiety: Weakened approach and intensified avoidance motivations for affiliation and social-rank

Social Anxiety and the Generation of Positivity During Dyadic Interaction: Curiosity and Authenticity Are the Keys to Success

“…It is possible that the capacity of high trait SA individuals to experience PA may be limited by a hypoactive affiliation system, which may subject to biological constraints or inhibited by a competing and hyperactive rank system, as suggested by evolutionary theories (Trower, & Gilbert, 1989;Weisman et al, 2011). However, recent research suggests that affiliation and rank motivations may operate independently, even among people with high SA (Blay et al, 2021). Our results suggest that the detrimental effects of SA could be offset, at least in part, by adopting affiliative goals during social interaction, as those who oriented themselves toward affiliation experienced both personal and interpersonal benefits.…”

“…Our results suggest that the detrimental effects of SA could be offset, at least in part, by adopting affiliative goals during social interaction, as those who oriented themselves toward affiliation experienced both personal and interpersonal benefits. If results could be generalizable to patients with SAD, it may be useful to discern the level of patients' affiliative motivations in advance of social encounters for establishing an idiosyncratic motivational profile, which may enhance case conceptualization and provide helpful targets for intervention (Blay et al, 2021).…”

“…Theorists have suggested that social anxiety reflects both a tendency to overutilize the rank system (commonly associated with negative outcomes such as anxiety and negative affect) and a tendency to under-utilize the affiliation system (Aderka, Weisman, Shahar, & Gilboa-Schechtman, 2009;Weisman, Aderka, Marom, Hermesh, & Gilboa-Schechtman, 2011). The under-utilization of the affiliation system has been speculated to play a key role in positivity deficits and decreased approach motivations (Blay, Keshet, Friedman, & Gilboa-Schechtman, 2021;Gilboa-Schechtman, 2020;Weisman et al, 2011).…”

Motivation as an indicator of performance and productivity from the perspective of employees

“…McClelland (1961) defined affiliation as developing, maintaining or re-establishing a positive emotional relationship with another person. Need for affiliation is expressed as the desire to stay closely connected to other people, avoid conflicts and build long lasting relationships Achua, 2007, 2015;Blay, Keshet, Friedman, & Gilboa-Schechtman, 2021;). Employees who are highly affiliation-motivated are driven by the desire to establish and maintain social relationships (Kahil, 2021).…”

Reconnecting in the Face of Exclusion: Individuals with High Social Anxiety May Feel the Push of Social Pain, but not the Pull of Social Rewards

“…A second factor that may explain how high SA may impede affiliation following exclusion emerges from a growing body of research suggesting that SA symptomology is not only driven by an overactive threat-avoidance motivational system, but also an underactive reward-seeking approach system, particularly within interpersonal contexts (see Blay et al, 2021 ; Weisman et al, 2011 ). From this perspective, high SA may inhibit desire to affiliate, perhaps by dampening goal pursuit and social reward responsivity in the face of painful exclusion.…”