Abstract
Summary: In this study, differences between two subtypes (Generalized type and Non-generalized type) of social anxiety were investigated in terms of individuals’ fluency in the formation of stimulus relations and physiological responses. Fifty-four university students completed the Japanese version of the Social Phobia Scale (SPS), which measures anxiety in performance situations; the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), which assesses anxiety in interaction situations; and the Go/No-go Association Task, which measures individuals’ fluency in the formation of stimulus relations between verbal stimuli representing social situations and emotions. In addition, their mental sweatings were recorded while they performed a speech task. The average and standard deviation criteria on the SPS and SIAS were used in group setting. Consequently, 30 individuals were subjected to analysis. Results indicated that individuals with generalized social anxiety were more fluent than those with low-level anxiety in forming stimulus relations between verbal stimuli representing performance situations and negative emotions. Further, individuals with low-level anxiety showed greater mental sweating in the speech task itself than they did in the preparation for the task. These results indicate that Relational Frame Theory may be efficiently applied to better understand the subtypes of social anxiety.
