Intolerance for approach of ambiguity in social anxiety disorder

Abstract

Previous research has utilized the approach avoidance task (AAT) to measure approach and avoidance action tendencies in socially anxious individuals. “Neutral” social stimuli may be perceived as ambiguous and hence threatening to socially anxious individuals, however it is unclear whether this results in difficulty approaching ambiguous (“neutral”) versus unambiguous threat (e.g., disgust) faces (i.e., intolerance of ambiguity). Thirty participants with Social Anxiety Disorder (SADs) and 29 non-anxious controls completed an implicit AAT in which they were instructed to approach or avoid neutral and disgust faces (i.e., pull or push a joystick) based on color of the picture border. Results indicated that SADs demonstrated greater difficulty approaching neutral relative to disgust faces. Moreover, intolerance for approach of ambiguity predicted social anxiety severity while controlling for the effects of trait anxiety and depression. Our results provide further support for the role of intolerance of ambiguity in SAD.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Eye-Tracking of Attention to Threat in Child and Adolescent Anxiety

“…Finally, many studies may not always accurately identify biases in relation to threat due to differences in threat evaluations. For instance, all facial stimuli may be considered somewhat threatening in socially anxious individuals, and as such avoidance of all faces may occur 59 . Avoidance of all perceived social threat may mask any group differences in attention bias picked up with current measures, as only between-face differences are generally calculated.…”

Keep your (social) distance: Pathogen concerns and social perception in the time of COVID-19

“…Furthermore, there are indications that J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f individuals with SAD are characterized by intolerance of uncertainty (Boelen & Reijntjes, 2009;Lange, Allart, Keijsers, Rinck, & Becker, 2012). For instance, Kuckertz, Strege, and Amir (2017) found that participants with SAD showed less willingness to approach neutral faces relative to disgusting faces, which is compatible with neutral facial expressions inducing social uncertainty regarding another person's feelings or intentions.…”

The prevalence of social phobia among students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and its relation with personality traits in 2013

“…Bayani reported that students with higher levels of social phobia have poor problemsolving ability and greater depression (20). It has also been shown that social phobia is correlated with adjustment problems (21), intolerance of ambiguities (22), mood disorders (23), increase in cigarette and marijuana use (24), social isolation (25), QOL (26), avoidant personality (27,28), and bipolar disorder (29). Personality and psychopathology are two categories of the field of psychology, which have gained the interest of many researchers.…”