01-06-2010 | Uitgave 2/2010
Open Access
Blushing-Fearful Individuals’ Judgmental Biases and Conditional Cognitions: An Internet Inquiry
- Tijdschrift:
-
Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment
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Uitgave 2/2010
- Auteurs:
- Corine Dijk, Peter J. de Jong, Elke Müller, Wietse Boersma
Abstract
The present study examines two mechanisms that might explain why blushing-fearful individuals fear blushing: Judgmental biases for blushing in ordinary social situations that usually do not elicit a blush, and negative conditional cognitions about blushing irrespective of situation. A web-based self-report measure, linked to a German internet forum for people with fear of blushing, was completed by a group of high blushing-fearful participants (n = 155) and a low fear group (n = 61). Supporting the idea that cognitive biases are involved in fear of blushing, blushing-fearful participants showed inflated estimates of both the probability and the costs of blushing in these situations. In addition, blushing-fearful individuals were characterized by relatively negative conditional cognitions about blushing.