Self-focused attention is the tendency of people with social anxiety to direct attention toward themselves (their thoughts, sensations, appearance) rather than toward the external situation. This maintaining mechanism is experimentally documented: people with social anxiety process less information from the environment and more from their own negative self-image. Clark showed that redirecting attention outward (focus on the other, on the task) reduces anxiety immediately.
Concept origin
Clark DM, Wells A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In Heimberg RG, Liebowitz MR, Hope DA, Schneier FR (Eds.), Social phobia: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment (pp. 69-93). Guilford Press. (later experimental validation (Hirsch, Clark 2004; Wells 1997 no verifiable DOI for the original chapter))
How it manifests
- ▸ In conversation: thinking "what do I look like?" instead of listening to the other
- ▸ In meetings: focusing on the sensation of blushing vs the content
- ▸ Greater awareness of pulse, breathing, trembling
Therapeutic approach
Three techniques to reduce self-focus: (1) conscious external focus (describe internally the other or the task, not yourself), (2) exposure with video feedback (seeing the video shows that the negative self-image does NOT match reality), (3) mindfulness centered on the present moment (not on the self-image). Combined with withdrawal of safety behaviors.
Related concepts
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