engleski

Social anxiety, beliefs about expressing emotions and experiencing positive emotions

In order to better understand the relationship between social anxiety and experiencing of positive and negative emotions and life satisfaction in general, the new model is proposed and tested. Based on the model of social phobia, which emphasizes the role of cognitions, and process model of emotion regulation, especially the response modulation, proposed and tested model included relationship between social anxiety (two dimensions: general fears and avoidance behaviors concerning social interactions and social evaluation concerns/anxiety related to being observed by others), beliefs about emotional expression, emotion suppression, positive and negative emotions and life satisfaction in general, controlling for depressive symptoms and neuroticism. Determining the role of social anxiety in proposed model, results have shown that neither social anxiety experienced in social interactions nor the one related to being observed by others do not make any direct effect on positive or negative emotions and life satisfaction in general. Only anxiety experienced in social interactions has a significant role in suggested model. The strong role that beliefs about expressing emotions have on the suppression of emotions has been indicated. The mediating role of these beliefs in relation between social anxiety and emotion suppression, and finally in experiencing positive and negative emotions and life satisfaction in general has been confirmed. Results attained by testing the new model have important theoretical contribution and have useful therapeutic implications. After the separate contribution of both types of social anxiety and emotion suppression is determined, the further aim of the study was to examine whether there is interaction effect of social anxiety (with control of neuroticism and depression) and emotion suppression in explaining the frequency of experiencing positive and negative emotions. Results have shown that only anxiety in social interactions has explained the frequency of experiencing positive emotions and that both dimensions of social anxiety have their role in explaining the frequency of experiencing negative emotions. Results are particularly valuable because social anxiety was considered after controlling neuroticism and depression as a part of negative affectivity. This research provided a new detailed insight into the complex relationship between social anxiety, beliefs about emotional expression and experience of emotions and the quality of life in general.

social anxiety, beliefs about expressing emotions, positive emotions, emotion regulation

DOI: 10.5772/46003