Interpretation bias in social anxiety as detected by event-related brain potentials.

Abstract

Little is known about psychophysiological correlates of interpretation bias in social anxiety. To address this issue, the authors measured event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in high and low socially anxious individuals during a task wherein ambiguous scenarios were resolved with either a positive or negative ending. Specifically, the authors examined modulations of the P600, an ERP that peaks approximately 600 ms following stimulus onset and indexes violations of expectancy. Low-anxious individuals were characterized by an increased P600 to negative in comparison with positive sentence endings, suggesting a positive interpretation bias. In contrast, the high-anxious group evidenced equivalent P600 magnitude for negative and positive sentence endings, suggesting a lack of positive interpretation bias. Similar, but less reliable results emerged in earlier time windows, that is, 200 -500 ms poststimulus. Reaction time, occurring around 900 ms poststimulus, failed to show a reliable interpretation bias. Results suggest that ERPs can detect interpretation biases in social anxiety before the emission of behavioral responses.

A Parent–Child Interactional Model of Social Anxiety Disorder in Youth

“…Such studies might help sort out genetic influences from environmental influences in the development and course of these various dimensions and resultant disorders. (3) Neurological studies that tell us more about the biological processes that underpin constructs such as BI and information processing biases (see, for example, Moser et al 2008 for an investigation of ERP as a predictor of interpretation bias in adult SAD). (4) Studies that take advantage of emerging fMRI technology that links brain scanners and allows multiple participants to interact with each other; such technology could be used to assess the neurological foundations of the intergenerational transmission of anxiety in SAD and related anxiety disorders.…”

In Vivo Activation of Anticipatory vs. Post-Event Autobiographical Images and Memories in Social Anxiety

“…The SPIN has been shown to be an excellent measure of SA, with good test-retest reliability (r = .78; Connor et al, 2000), high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .87 or higher; Connor et al, 2000), and strong construct validity (Antony, Coons, McCabe, Ashbaugh, & Swinson, 2006). Although Connor and colleagues (2000) proposed a cut-off score of 19 and higher to select participants likely to have SAD, others (e.g., Moser, Hajcak, Huppert, Foa, & Simons, 2008) have expressed a preference for using a more stringent cut-off score of 30, which we also use here. We selected a cut-off score of 12 or below for controls because Connor et al (2000) reported that their nonpsychiatric control group had a mean SPIN total score of 12.1.…”

“…We selected a cut-off score of 12 or below for controls because Connor et al (2000) reported that their nonpsychiatric control group had a mean SPIN total score of 12.1. This cut-off score resembles the score of 10 or below that has been used by Moser et al (2008) to identify low anxious controls. The cutoff scores of 12 (LSA) and 30 (HSA) used here replicate those used by .…”

Friend or Foe? Memory and Expectancy Biases for Faces in Social Anxiety

“…The SPIN has been shown to be an excellent measure of social anxiety, with good test-retest reliability, strong convergent and divergent validity, good construct validity, and high levels of internal consistency (Antony, Coons, McCabe, Ashbaugh, & Swinson, 2006;Connor et al, 2000). Although Connor and colleagues (2000) proposed a cut-off score of 19 and higher to select participants likely to have social anxiety disorder, we followed the suggestion of others (e.g., Moser, Hajcak, Huppert, Foa, & Simons, 2008) who have expressed a preference for using a more stringent cut-off score of 30.…”

“…This cut-off score resembles the score of 10 or below that has been used by Moser et al (2008) to identify low anxious controls. The reliability (internal consistency) of the SPIN total score in the present study was estimated using Cronbach's alpha, and was .93.…”