Task concentration training and fear of blushing

✍ Scribed by Susan M. Bögels; Sandra Mulkens; Peter J. De Jong

• Book ID: 101277062
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 111 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1063-3995
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0879(199712)4:4<251::aid-cpp136>3.0.co;2-5

✦ Synopsis

Self-focused attention (SFA) is considered to be an important factor in the maintenance of social phobia. It is argued that this might be especially so in erytrophobia since physiological arousal (notably blushing) serves to focus attention inwards and heightened SFA may cause a blushing reaction. From this perspective, a treatment strategy is proposed that specifically aims at reducing SFA in erytrophobics. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the clinical use of task concentration training. Results revealed that task concentration training strongly decreased blushing propensity, fear of blushing, avoidance behaviour, and negative beliefs about the consequences of blushing.