Disturbed Social Information Processing as a Mechanism in the Development of Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is one of the most common mental disorders and becomes chronic if left untreated. Even when it is treated, outcomes are less promising than for other anxiety disorders. Thus, many are interested in preventing SAD and in the mechanisms involved in the development of SAD. In this article, I propose in a new model that disturbances in social cognition (cognitive biases, emotion recognition and understanding, negative expectations) and dysregulated social emotions (social fear and self-conscious emotional arousal) in toddlerhood and early childhood lead to avoidance and high levels of anxiety in social situations. When repeated over time, these impair daily functioning and result in a disorder. Biological factors (e.g., fearful temperament), environmental factors (e.g., parental mentalizing), and past experiences may be distal factors that contribute to the development of SAD via disturbed sociocognitive processing and dysregulated emotions. Based on this model, I conclude by describing clinical implications and recommendations for research.