Not intended, still embarrassed: Social anxiety is related to increased levels of embarrassment in response to unintentional social norm violations

Bas-Hoogendam, Janna Marie; Steenbergen, Henk van; Wee, Nic J.A. van der; Westenberg, P. Michiel

doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.03.002

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…The empathic embarrassment paradigm, involving self-other merging and distinction, allowed us to reveal that individuals who are more prone to other-oriented social anxiety may show enhanced affective and reduced cognitive empathy. The observed association between TKS and self-awareness scores further supports this view (SI Appendix), underlining the unique self-other representation in social anxiety (3,50). In this regard, our results support the proposal that social anxiety is represented on a spectrum (9, 13), comprising diverse clinical manifestations from mild to severe and an even wider continuum of social anxiety extending into the general population, thereby affecting a multitude of interpersonal interactions (3, 50).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Brain and behavioral alterations in subjects with social anxiety dominated by empathic embarrassment

Tei

Kauppi

Jankowski

et al. 2020

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Social-anxiety disorder involves a fear of embarrassing oneself in the presence of others. Taijin-kyofusho (TKS), a subtype common in East Asia, additionally includes a fear of embarrassing others. TKS individuals are hypersensitive to others’ feelings and worry that their physical or behavioral defects humiliate others. To explore the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms, we compared TKS ratings with questionnaire-based empathic disposition, cognitive flexibility (set-shifting), and empathy-associated brain activity in 23 Japanese adults. During 3-tesla functional MRI, subjects watched video clips of badly singing people who expressed either authentic embarrassment (EMBAR) or hubristic pride (PRIDE). We expected the EMBAR singers to embarrass the viewers via emotion-sharing involving affective empathy (affEMP), and the PRIDE singers to embarrass via perspective-taking involving cognitive empathy (cogEMP). During affEMP (EMBAR > PRIDE), TKS scores correlated positively with dispositional affEMP (personal-distress dimension) and with amygdala activity. During cogEMP (EMBAR < PRIDE), TKS scores correlated negatively with cognitive flexibility and with activity of the posterior superior temporal sulcus/temporoparietal junction (pSTS/TPJ). Intersubject correlation analysis implied stronger involvement of the anterior insula, inferior frontal gyrus, and premotor cortex during affEMP than cogEMP and stronger involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and pSTS/TPJ during cogEMP than affEMP. During cogEMP, the whole-brain functional connectivity was weaker the higher the TKS scores. The observed imbalance between affEMP and cogEMP, and the disruption of functional brain connectivity, likely deteriorate cognitive processing during embarrassing situations in persons who suffer from other-oriented social anxiety dominated by empathic embarrassment.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Brain and behavioral alterations in subjects with social anxiety dominated by empathic embarrassment

Tei

Kauppi

Jankowski

et al. 2020

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…This effect of SA on the embarrassment ratings for unintentional SN violations was recently replicated in a community sample (17). Using a revised version of the SNPT (SNPT-R), which enabled investigating SN processing in children, adolescents, and adults (18), we reproduced the general effect of SA on ratings of inappropriateness and embarrassment, and the specific effect of SA on embarrassment ratings for unintentional SN violations: while participants with low-tointermediate SA levels rated unintentional SN transgressions as less embarrassing than intentional SN transgressions, participants with higher SA levels rated the unintentional SN violations as equally embarrassing as the intentional SN violations (17). This distinct experience of embarrassment is a critical factor underlying the development and maintenance of SA, as it could lead to negative self-evaluations and to the increased concerns about the judgments of others that are typical of individuals with SAD (19,20).…”

mentioning

confidence: 72%

“…Furthermore, patients rated all stories as more inappropriate and more embarrassing, with the most prominent effect for the unintentional SN violations, which SAD patients considered significantly more embarrassing than control subjects did (16). This effect of SA on the embarrassment ratings for unintentional SN violations was recently replicated in a community sample (17). Using a revised version of the SNPT (SNPT-R), which enabled investigating SN processing in children, adolescents, and adults (18), we reproduced the general effect of SA on ratings of inappropriateness and embarrassment, and the specific effect of SA on embarrassment ratings for unintentional SN violations: while participants with low-tointermediate SA levels rated unintentional SN transgressions as less embarrassing than intentional SN transgressions, participants with higher SA levels rated the unintentional SN violations as equally embarrassing as the intentional SN violations (17).…”

mentioning

confidence: 78%

Altered Neurobiological Processing of Unintentional Social Norm Violations: A Multiplex, Multigenerational Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study on Social Anxiety Endophenotypes

Bas-Hoogendam

Steenbergen

Tissier

et al. 2020

Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging

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BACKGROUND: Patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) fear negative evaluation in social situations. Specifically, previous work indicated that social anxiety is associated with increased medial prefrontal cortex activation in response to unintentional social norm (SN) transgressions, accompanied by increased embarrassment ratings for such SN violations. Here, we used data from the multiplex, multigenerational LFLSAD (Leiden Family Lab study on Social Anxiety Disorder), which involved two generations of families genetically enriched for SAD, and investigated whether these neurobiological and behavioral correlates of unintentional SN processing are SAD endophenotypes. Of four endophenotype criteria, we examined two: first, the cosegregation of these characteristics with social anxiety (SA) within families of SAD probands (criterion 4), and second, the heritability of the candidate endophenotypes (criterion 3). METHODS: Participants (n = 110, age range 9.0-61.5 years, eight families) performed the revised Social Norm Processing Task; functional magnetic resonance imaging data and behavioral ratings related to this paradigm were used to examine whether brain activation in response to processing unintentional SN violations and ratings of embarrassment were associated with SA levels. Next, heritability of these measurements was estimated. RESULTS: As expected, voxelwise functional magnetic resonance imaging analyses revealed positive associations between SA levels and brain activation in the medial prefrontal cortex and medial temporal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and superior temporal sulcus, and these brain activation levels displayed moderate to moderately high heritability. Furthermore, although SA levels correlated positively with behavioral ratings of embarrassment for SN transgressions, these behavioral characteristics were not heritable. CONCLUSIONS: These results show, for the first time, that brain responses in the medial prefrontal cortex and medial temporal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and superior temporal sulcus, related to processing unintentional SN violations, provide a neurobiological candidate endophenotype of SAD.

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“…The collection of dialogue scenarios on embarrassing topics is very sensitive as it involves interpersonal relationships and personal emotions (Bethell et al, 2014;Uysal et al, 2014). There is sufficient evidence to show that the transmission of information is usually related to emotions and identities (Bas-Hoogendam et al, 2018;Hofmann et al, 2006;Sharkey & Singelis, 1995). In this study, the anonymity of the interviewees is the key factor, especially regarding the integrity and accuracy of the collection of dialogue scenarios.…”

Section: Phase 2-the Selection and Analysis Of Situationsmentioning

confidence: 89%

A study on the embarrassment of senders who missend emojis with opposite meanings on social apps: taking WeChat as an example

Liu

Hsu

Zhang

et al. 2020

Psicol. Refl. Crít.

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With the increasing popularity of social apps, sending emojis has become a very common way of expressing one's emotions. However, situations often arise when people send the wrong emoji by mistake, or sometimes even an emoji with an opposite meaning, which can cause embarrassment to the sender. Taking WeChat as an example, which is widely used in Chinese communities, this study summarizes 10 types of dialogue situations in which the meaning of an emoji is wrongly sent and 12 types of emotional components that are related to embarrassment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent to which the 12 emotional components that are associated with embarrassment actually explain what embarrassment is, as well as the different degrees of embarrassment among the different genders and age groups. The results showed that (1) among the emotional components of embarrassment, shame has the highest explanation degree for embarrassment; (2) males are more likely to be affected by embarrassment than females; and (3) users aged 18-25 and 26-30 years are more likely to be affected by embarrassment than those aged between 31 and 40 when they mistakenly send WeChat emojis. This study provides a reference value for their sustainable psychological impact on social app users.

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Not intended, still embarrassed: Social anxiety is related to increased levels of embarrassment in response to unintentional social norm violations

Cited by 10 publications

References 61 publications

Brain and behavioral alterations in subjects with social anxiety dominated by empathic embarrassment

Brain and behavioral alterations in subjects with social anxiety dominated by empathic embarrassment

Altered Neurobiological Processing of Unintentional Social Norm Violations: A Multiplex, Multigenerational Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study on Social Anxiety Endophenotypes

A study on the embarrassment of senders who missend emojis with opposite meanings on social apps: taking WeChat as an example

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