Social phobia is a severely disabling and often chronic condition if left untreated. While cognitive- behavioral interventions have received a great deal of support, research indicates that as many as 52% of patients with social phobia fail to fully respond to treatment (Turner, Beidel, Wolff, Spaulding, & Jacob, 1996). Thus, it is crucial to continue refining existing therapeutic options. This study offers one such attempt by investigating an experimental social anxiety reduction technique. The proposed intervention is based upon leading cognitive theories suggesting that the ways people think about and interpret information are related to emotional problems. Building on these theories, the current proposal evaluates an experimental intervention designed to create healthier implicit associations, which constitute a basic association between two concepts (e.g., me + liked) that occurs outside conscious control. Learning to change implicit associations may be particularly valuable given that they appear to reflect some elements of anxious schema (a type of cognitive script), which theoretically guide many of the maladaptive responses in pathological anxiety (Beck & Clark, 1997). We will attempt to modify these implicit social anxiety associations through the use of a classical conditioning paradigm. Individuals high in social anxiety symptoms will be trained to preferentially make non-threatening associations by repeatedly pairing self-relevant stimuli with stimuli indicating positive social feedback. This group (N = 30) will be compared against two control groups-one that receives no training (N = 30) and another that receives 'neutral' training (N = 30; self-relevant stimuli will be equally paired with positive, negative, and neutral social feedback). To assess the effectiveness of the intervention, all participants will complete tasks that evoke social anxiety, as well as measures assessing biases in implicit associations, attention, and interpretation. Our goals with this research are to: a) determine whether it is possible to shift implicit social anxiety associations, b) establish whether there is a link between changes in implicit associations and symptoms of social anxiety, and c) investigate whether changes in one form of information processing bias (implicit associations) also affects other biases (attention and interpretation). This will allow us to test information processing theories and refine existing intervention efforts for social phobia, thereby advancing research with direct clinical and theoretical relevance. Moreover, receipt of the NRSA fellowship will also allow me to expand my theoretical knowledge, integrate my research and clinical abilities, and strengthen the quantitative skills necessary for a career as an independent clinical scientist. ? ? ?
| Clerkin, Elise M; Teachman, Bethany A (2011) Training interpretation biases among individuals with symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 42:337-43 |
| Clerkin, Elise M; Teachman, Bethany A (2010) Training implicit social anxiety associations: an experimental intervention. J Anxiety Disord 24:300-8 |
