Predicting Short-Term Positive Affect Trajectory in Individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder: The Role of Selected Personality Traits and Emotion Regulation Strategies

Date of Award

Spring 5-15-2014

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Author's Department

Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Arts (AM/MA)

Degree Type

Thesis

Abstract

Recently, a growing body of research has provided support for a moderate, inverse relationship between social anxiety and dispositional positive affect (e.g., Kashdan, 2007). However, the dynamics of this relationship remain poorly understood, and there is a paucity of research examining state-level fluctuations in positive affect for individuals with social anxiety disorder. The present study offers an extension of previous work by evaluating whether certain personality traits (i.e., extraversion and neuroticism) and emotion regulation variables predict the short-term trajectory of state positive affect in individuals with the disorder as well as demographically equivalent controls. Positive affect as measured by the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM; Bradley & Lang, 1994) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) was assessed before and after each of three behavioral tasks in which the participant conversed with either a friend or a romantic partner. Initial latent trajectory analyses revealed that the best-fitting slope parameters for each group were largely against expectation and varied across measurement instrument. Tests of models including predictors were consistent with some, but not all, hypothesized links between personality traits and emotion regulation tendencies and the theorized individual influence of v each on short-term hedonic activity. Additional research is needed to explore further the interactive effect of social anxiety and emotion regulation strategies on positive emotions.

Language

English (en)

Chair and Committee

Thomas L. Rodebaugh

Comments

Permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.7936/K78G8HN9

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS