Social cognition and metacognition in social anxiety: A systematic review

Abstract

Cognitive-behavioural and metacognitive approaches to emotional disorder implicate beliefs in social anxiety, but the types of beliefs differ across these perspectives. Cognitive models suggest that social beliefs about the self (i.e., high standards and conditional and unconditional beliefs) are central. In contrast, the metacognitive model gives centre stage to metacognitive beliefs (i.e., positive and negative beliefs about thinking) as main contributors to the maintenance of the disorder. Despite an expanding research interest in this area, the evidence for such contributions has not yet been reviewed. This study set out to systematically review relevant cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental investigations of the direct and indirect (through cognitive processes, such as anticipatory processing, self-focused attention, the post-mortem, and avoidance) relationships of social and metacognitive beliefs with social anxiety. Clinical and nonclinical samples were included, and correlation and regression coefficients as well as results from group comparisons (e.g., t tests and analyses of variance) were extracted. Overall, 23 papers were located, through PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science, and reviewed using narrative synthesis. The results showed a robust positive relationship between social beliefs and social anxiety that appeared to be mediated by cognitive processes. Specific metacognitive beliefs were found to positively contribute to social anxiety both directly and indirectly, through cognitive processes. The study's findings are limited to 2 models of social anxiety and other minor limitations (e.g., grey literature was excluded). With these accounted for, the results are discussed in terms of the conceptualization and treatment of social anxiety and suggestions for future research are made.

Explaining depression symptoms in patients with social anxiety disorder: Do maladaptive metacognitive beliefs play a role?

“…In line with the metacognitive model (Wells & Matthews, 1994), maladaptive metacognitive beliefs have been associated with social anxiety (see Gkika, Wittkowski, & Wells, 2017 for a review) and with depression (see Sun, Zhu, & So, 2017 thoughts. Although these studies indicate that metacognitive beliefs are associated with depressive symptoms in SAD patients, they did not test the relative predictive value of metacognitive beliefs while controlling for the other indicated risk factors in this context.…”

“…In line with the metacognitive model (Wells & Matthews, ), maladaptive metacognitive beliefs have been associated with social anxiety (see Gkika, Wittkowski, & Wells, for a review) and with depression (see Sun, Zhu, & So, for a review). Moreover, two studies have investigated the association between change in metacognitive beliefs and depressive symptoms in SAD patients undergoing cognitive–behavioural therapy.…”

Assessment of metacognitive beliefs in an at risk mental state for psychosis: A validation study of the Metacognitions Questionnaire‐30

“…• Internal consistency of the MCQ-30 in ARMS was very good overall. (Brett, Johns, Peters, & McGuire, 2009;McEvoy, Mahoney, Perini, & Kingsep, 2009;Wells, 2009) and social anxiety (Gkika, Wittkowski, & Wells, 2017;Wells, 2009), it is predicted that significant positive relationships will exist between the MCQ-30 and these areas of emotion measured using the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and Beck Depression Inventory-7 (BDI-7).…”

“…It is expected that the BAPS normalizing subscale will have no significant relationships with any of the MCQ‐30 subscales. Due to past research on the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and depression (Brett, Johns, Peters, & McGuire, ; McEvoy, Mahoney, Perini, & Kingsep, ; Wells, ) and social anxiety (Gkika, Wittkowski, & Wells, ; Wells, ), it is predicted that significant positive relationships will exist between the MCQ‐30 and these areas of emotion measured using the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and Beck Depression Inventory‐7 (BDI‐7).…”

Percepción y Motivación Social: Elementos Predictores de la Ansiedad y el Ajuste Social en Adolescentes

“…La evaluación e interpretación negativa de la situación social puede favorecer la puesta en marcha de comportamientos poco competentes o desadaptativos mediados por el desarrollo de emociones negativas como la ansiedad. Algunas investigaciones han encontrado que las creencias e interpretaciones negativas de las intenciones de los demás y expectativas negativas sobre el propio desempeño favorecen el miedo ante la evaluación ajena, que es un importante componente de la ansiedad social (Erath et al, 2007;Gkika, Wittkowski y Wells, 2018;La Greca, Kraslow, Wick, Shaw y Stone, 1988).…”