Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Junior
Major
Psychology/Applied Behavior Analysis
Minor
Nonprofit Leadership Studies
2nd Student Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Sophomore
2nd Student Major
Elementary Education
3rd Student Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Sophomore
3rd Student Major
Psychology/Applied Behavior Analysis
3rd Student Minor
Criminal Justice
4th Student Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
4th Student Major
Psychology
4th Student Minor
Sociology
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Michael Bordieri, PhD
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Self-compassion involves treating yourself with kindness instead of judgement, understanding that pain and failure is experienced by everyone instead of isolating oneself, and being mindfully aware of painful thoughts and feelings instead of ruminating on them (Neff, 2003). The present study is interested in self-compassion's effect on social anxiety; it is a replication of a recent study (Harwood & Kocovski, 2017) and an attempt to extend its findings. Harwood and Kocovski (2017) found that, among participants higher in social anxiety, those who completed a self-compassion writing task experienced less anticipatory anxiety before a speech task in comparison to those who had completed a control writing task. The present study includes the addition of two dependent variables, fear of positive and negative evaluation, in order to examine how the same self-compassion exercise may also impact the fear of evaluation that individuals with social anxiety may experience before the same socially stressful speech task. Some research has already shown a correlation between self-compassion and fear of evaluation; less self-compassion is associated with greater fear of both positive and negative evaluation (Werner et al., 2012; Long & Neff, 2018). The following has been hypothesized, and will be tested once data collection has been completed: (1) In line with previous research (Harwood & Kocovski 2017), the self-compassion writing task will reduce anticipatory anxiety more for those higher in social anxiety (2) The self-compassion writing task will reduce fear of negative evaluation for those higher in social anxiety, and (3) The self-compassion writing task will reduce fear of positive evaluation for those higher in social anxiety. The current literature has evidence that the self-compassion exercise can lower anticipatory anxiety (Harwood & Kocovski, 2017), so if it is shown that it also lowers fear of evaluation, the literature may have even stronger evidence that self-compassion exercises could potentially play a role in making exposure easier for those with social anxiety.
Spring Scholars Week 2020 Event
Psychology: Projects In-Progress
Included in
Self-Compassion, Anticipatory Anxiety, and Fear of Evaluation in Social Anxiety
Self-compassion involves treating yourself with kindness instead of judgement, understanding that pain and failure is experienced by everyone instead of isolating oneself, and being mindfully aware of painful thoughts and feelings instead of ruminating on them (Neff, 2003). The present study is interested in self-compassion's effect on social anxiety; it is a replication of a recent study (Harwood & Kocovski, 2017) and an attempt to extend its findings. Harwood and Kocovski (2017) found that, among participants higher in social anxiety, those who completed a self-compassion writing task experienced less anticipatory anxiety before a speech task in comparison to those who had completed a control writing task. The present study includes the addition of two dependent variables, fear of positive and negative evaluation, in order to examine how the same self-compassion exercise may also impact the fear of evaluation that individuals with social anxiety may experience before the same socially stressful speech task. Some research has already shown a correlation between self-compassion and fear of evaluation; less self-compassion is associated with greater fear of both positive and negative evaluation (Werner et al., 2012; Long & Neff, 2018). The following has been hypothesized, and will be tested once data collection has been completed: (1) In line with previous research (Harwood & Kocovski 2017), the self-compassion writing task will reduce anticipatory anxiety more for those higher in social anxiety (2) The self-compassion writing task will reduce fear of negative evaluation for those higher in social anxiety, and (3) The self-compassion writing task will reduce fear of positive evaluation for those higher in social anxiety. The current literature has evidence that the self-compassion exercise can lower anticipatory anxiety (Harwood & Kocovski, 2017), so if it is shown that it also lowers fear of evaluation, the literature may have even stronger evidence that self-compassion exercises could potentially play a role in making exposure easier for those with social anxiety.