Examination of the Contribution of Ruminative Thinking and Maladaptive Self-Beliefs to Social Anxiety

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative contribution of 3 components of the Clark and Wells (1995) model to social anxiety symptoms. In particular, based on theory and previous research, it was hypothesized that the association between post-event processing and social anxiety and between anticipatory anxiety and social anxiety would be mediated by maladaptive self-beliefs. To test this hypothesis, a large, nonclinical sample of young adults completed a measure of anticipatory processing, post-event processing, maladaptive self-beliefs, and social anxiety. Based on a structural equation modeling approach, full mediation was found between post-event processing and social anxiety, and partial mediation was found between anticipatory processing and social anxiety. Overall, the results contribute to the literature by elucidating cognitive processes that may lead to the development and maintenance of social anxiety symptoms.