SUBMISSIVENESS IN SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER: THE ROLE OF INTERPERSONAL PERCEPTION AND EMBARRASSMENT

We examined how increases in embarrassment in response to interpersonal perceptions may account for defensive behaviors such as submissiveness in Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Based on evolutionary theory and cognitive theory, we hypothesized that: (1) interpersonal perceptions indicating others' disapproval and rejection would be associated with increases in embarrassment, (2) increases in embarrassment would be related to greater submissiveness, and (3) embarrassment would partly account for the effect of these interpersonal perceptions. on submissive behavior. These effects were expected to be stronger among individuals with SAD than community controls. Using an event-contingent recording methodology, 40 individuals with SAD and 40 community controls reported on their perceptions of the interaction partner's communal behavior, their own submissive behavior, and embarrassment in interactions during a 20-day period. The expected effects were found in both SAD and control groups. Compared to community controls, individuals with SAD had a stronger association of perceived low communal behavior in the partner with increases in embarrassment, and increases in embarrassment accounted to a greater degree for the effect of perceived low communal behavior on the person's submissive behavior in the SAD group than control group. Findings support theoretical models of SAD that emphasize the importance of interpersonal perceptions and embarrassment on the defensive social behavior of individuals with SAD.