The Cognitive approach of Social Phobia

BACKGROUND: Social phobia is a disorder characterized by an excessive fear of the individual that he or she “will act in a way that will be humiliating or embarrassing” in response to one or more social or performance situations. These disorders cause significant distress and interfere appreciably with a person's daily career, academic, and interpersonal functioning. AIM: The purpose of the present study is to explore the influence of cognitive factors associated with the development and maintenance of Social Phobia. METHOD: A critical review of this body of literature was carried out. Evidence was collected through Medline database. RESULTS: According to cognitive theories, social phobic individuals interpret social situations in a negative way. They overestimate danger, threat and fear, and underestimate their abilities to cope with danger and these threats. As a result, individuals revert to maladaptive coping strategies, including avoidance and safety behaviours. For people with social phobia, social cues are posited to activate negative schema, or beliefs. CONCLUSION: Recognizing the importance of negative self-images, several cognitive-behavioral treatment programs for social phobia include cognitive (cognitive restructuring) and behavioral techniques for correcting distorted self-images, modifying dysfunctional thinking patterns and improving individuals’ social skills in order to cope effectively with the social situation.

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