Hypermentalizing in social anxiety : Evidence for a context-dependent relationship
Ballespí Sola, Sergi (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut)
Vives Brosa, Jaume (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut)
Sharp, Carla (University of Houston. Department of Psychology)
Tobar, Andrea (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut)
Barrantes-Vidal, Neus (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut)

Date:	2019
Abstract:	Social anxiety (SA) means fear of scrutiny and of others' negative evaluation, thus indicating that hypermentalizing (HMZ) (i. e. , the over-attribution of intentions and thoughts to others) might be the most common error of social cognition in SA. However, evidence for this is weak. One explanation is that HMZ is not stable in SA, but rather context-dependent. The first aim of the current study was testing this hypothesis. The second aim was analyzing whether the association between SA and HMZ is moderated by a negative self-image. One-hundred and thirteen young adults (85. 8% females; M = 21. 1 years old; SD = 2. 7) were assessed on measures of SA, HMZ, and self-image. Given the over-representation of females, conclusions may not be safely extrapolated to males. Results revealed that HMZ is associated with SA only in the self-referential social situation [B = 2. 68 (95% CI: 0. 72-4. 65), p = 0. 007]. This supports that HMZ is not global in SA (i. e. , a stable cognitive style), but rather is active only in some contexts. Implications for the conceptualization and treatment of SA are discussed. Contrary to predictions, neither self-esteem, nor positive or negative self-schema moderated the association between SA and self-referential HMZ. This contradicts findings in the field of paranoid delusion and requires replication, including measures of implicit self-esteem.
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad PSI2014-56303-REDT Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad PSI2014-52962-P Agencia Estatal de Investigación PSI2017-87512-C2-1-R Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2017/SGR-1612
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Social anxiety ; Social cognition ; Mentalization ; Hypermentalizing ; Context-dependency ; Self-image ; Self-esteem
Published in:	Frontiers in psychology, Vol. 10 Núm. JULY (2019) , p. 1501, ISSN 1664-1078

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01501
PMID: 31354562

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