The effects of self-administered cognitive therapy on social-evaluative anxiety

Abstract

Investigated the efficacy of self-administered cognitive therapy (RET) in the treatment of high and chronic social anxiety. Forty-five socially anxious volunteer students, who scored in the upper 15% of 570 students prescreened with the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale, were matched on SAD scores and randomly assigned to self-administered cognitive therapy (RET), a self-administered attention placebo condition (Logo-therapy), or a no-treatment control condition. Pretest and posttest measures included the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD), Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. Results indicated that self-administered cognitive therapy significantly decreased social anxiety and fear of negative evaluation and also suggested a generalization of effects as trait anxiety significantly decreased. Comparisons of mean change scores with therapist administered studies lend support to the conclusion that self-administered cognitive restructuring is an effective means of decreasing social-evaluative anxiety. Mean change scores suggest that participants may have attained therapeutic benefits as a consistent trend toward decreased anxiety across variables.