Running head: Annotated Bibliography 1

Annotated Bibliography:

Social Anxiety, Self-Efficacy and Persistence

Aaron J Ochoa

The University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

Dr. Viera

4/9/2019
Annotated Bibliography 2

Research Questions

It seems that the exact root cause of social anxiety can have many differing sources and

is, for the most part, poorly understood in modern society. Some possible questions:

• What is the biological background from which social fear stems from?

• How did humans evolve to be socially anxious?

• How can universities mitigate the negative impacts of social anxiety?

• Is the ability to maintain a good social life related to a student’s ability to succeed?

• Does the advent of social media serve to create a disconnect among people and thus,

more socially anxious individuals?

Annotated Bibliography 3

Annotated Bibliography

Monographs

Cohen, M. R. (2011). Social literacy : a social skills seminar for young adults with ASDs, NLDs,

and social anxiety. Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co. Retrieved from http://0-

search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat04704a&AN=nug.b248

9645&site=eds-live&scope=site

A lack of awareness of the nuances of languages and communication is typically exhibited by

socially anxious individuals. Per studies conducted by Cohen (2011), a literal approach to

interpreting language in those with social aversions contributes to misunderstandings that further

alienate the individual from social mastery and comprehension (p.14). The sub communication

and motives involved in flirting, for example, are interpreted at “face value” by the individual,

thus causing them to blunder socially, become more isolated from their social spheres, and

become anxious toward similar social situations. Those who struggle with social anxiety nay also

fail to be aware of certain “social deceptions”, or white lies, viewing them as dishonest rather

than polite. This in turn creates more social struggle and avoidance (p.16). This expresses the

idea that the inability to grasp the subtleties of communication is common in socially anxious

persons and only serves to worsen their condition.

Mruk, C. J. (1999). Self-esteem: Research, theory, and practice. New York: Springer Pub.34

The feeling of self-esteem is intrinsically tied to an individual’s ability to maintain and improve

efficacy in life. Christopher Mruk (1999) concludes that the development of personal identity,

alongside the process of attaining mastery of competent living, are two concurrent processes that

regulate one another (p.16). This relationship is exhibited in humans from early infancy until full
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maturation, in the form of meeting social/behavioral challenges (which become more

sophisticated with age) that serve to increase the individuals range of mastery and competence,

and thus, their level of self-esteem (p.17). This evidence suggests that one’s ability to meet the

challenges of life determines their degree of personal self-efficacy.

Anthology

Beidel, D. C., & Turner, S. M. (2007). Shy children, phobic adults : Nature and treatment of

social anxiety disorder Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, ©2007;

2nd ed.

The feeling of social anxiety is highly pervasive and widespread among all levels of society, and

the feeling of competence and personal assurance in the form of self-efficacy is directly related

to one’s social capability. According to Beidel and Turner (2007), the experience of social

anxiety is a natural thought process and is a universal aspect of the human condition. Although it

has only recently been classified as a mental disorder appearing in DSM III (and all subsequent

iterations of the manual released since), a significant amount of research has been contributed to

exhibit the prevalence of social anxiety disorder within the general population (p.4). And in the

case of self-efficacy (or one’s ability to believe in their capacity for success), feelings of self-

assurance are linked to a high level of competence in social interaction (p.156). This evidence

serves to suggest the high degree of permeability that social anxiety possesses and highlight the

connection between self-efficacy and mastery of social dynamics.

Stein, M. B. (1995). Social phobia: Clinical and research perspectives Washington, DC :

American Psychiatric Press, c1995; 1st ed.

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Social phobia and anxiety are frequently experienced in conjunction with other negative

psychological behaviors. According to Murray Stein, many individuals with social anxiety

develop extreme clinical depression, and the two ailments are expressed directly following one

another in most cases (p.34). In addition, a large proportion of individuals with social phobia

exhibit an excessive degree of alcoholism, likely due to the affected person’s need for social

lubricant in the form of spirits (p.35). This evidence serves to suggest that the development

social phobia often occurs alongside the exacerbation of other mental afflictions.

Journal Articles

LeBeau, R. T. (2014). Social Pain and the Onset of Social Anxiety Disorder. UCLA. ProQuest

ID: LeBeau_ucla_0031D_12605. Merritt ID: ark:/13030/m5km0s7h. Retrieved from

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7zf193xj

The effects of social anxiety have a biologically negative impact on human health. According to

LeBeau (2014), research conducted on pain response in humans has revealed that the brain

responds identically to both physical and social pain (p.2). Social pain is defined in this context

as a negative emotional state that is adopted in situations where damage is done to one’s sense of

social capability and quality of connection to others, a mental frame brought about by related

struggles in social anxiety. Further studies have shown that struggling socially results in higher

levels of cortisol, leading to hormone over-exposure and dampening of immune system

efficiency (p.3). This evidence is a clear demonstration of the deleterious effects of social anxiety

on one’s overall wellness.

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Ko, C.-Y. A., & Chang, Y. (2019). Investigating the Relationships Among Resilience, Social

Anxiety, and Procrastination in a Sample of College Students. Psychological Reports,

122(1), 231–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294118755111

There is a significant relationship between social anxiety and procrastination in college students.

In a related study, Ko & Chang (2019) report that, in addition to studies linking generalized

anxiety to poor work ethic, social anxiety in particular can be linked to procrastination through

the concepts associated with self-presentation theory (p.234). Self-presentation theory suggests

that social anxiety worsens when one is under obligation to make an impression. Considering

this implication, a possible explanation of this connection is that socially anxious individuals

adopt the habit of procrastination in order to avoid situations and conditions that entail failure or

poor evaluation by others. People with high social anxiety have aversions to disapproval, and the

study revealed that these individuals were more likely to procrastinate (p.240). This highlights

the correlation between social anxiety and procrastination in students, because productivity is

hindered due to poor social capability.

Van Ameringen, M., Mancini, C., & Farvolden, P. (2003). The impact of anxiety disorders on

educational achievement doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0887-6185(02)00228-1

Students with social phobias are significantly more likely to leave school/university and struggle

with academic performance. In the analysis of a school-leaving questionnaire conducted on 201

students meeting DSM-IV criteria for social anxiety disorder, Ameringen, Mancini and

Farvolden (2003) report that over half of these students reported premature withdrawal from

university (p.561). Many individuals within the scope of the sample indicated that generalized

social anxiety was the main reason for their abandoning of academic pursuits. In addition, the
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likelihood of diagnosis for social phobia and alcohol abuse/dependence (due to an increased

desire for a social lubricant) in the sample is high (p.561). This highlights the correlation

between social anxiety/aversion and ones likelihood of abandoning the pursuit for higher

education.

Scholarly Website

Mikulich, A. (2019, March 02). THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SOCIAL ANXIETY.

Retrieved from https://nationalsocialanxietycenter.com/2016/12/20/the-impact-of-social-

media-on-social-anxiety/

The implications brought forth by the development of technology and social media directly

affect those with social anxiety disorder. Mikulich (2016), in discussing the possible problems

associated with social media use in those struggling with social phobia, suggests that the use of

such technological mediums allows for an avoidance of real time interactions with others. They

allow for the modification and manipulation of social interactions, causing already socially

anxious individuals to become further isolated and disconnected from social norm. One example

of this is the creation of the online “ideal persona”, which results in fear of judgement in both

online and real time situations (2016). The link between technology/social media use and those

with social phobia is thus illustrated in this context, with anxiety being worsened due to

manifested social avoidance and deceptive online self-presentation.

Wildcard

Suzanne E. Thomas, Carrie L. Randall, and, & Maureen H. Carrigan. (2003). Drinking to Cope

in Socially Anxious Individuals: A Controlled Study. Alcoholism: Clinical &

Experimental Research, 27(12), 1937. Retrieved from https://0-search-ebscohost-

Annotated Bibliography 8

com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=11845383&site=eds-

live&scope=site

Adolescents with social anxiety are at a greater risk for alcohol involvement and abuse.

According to Thomas (2003), social apprehensions in today’s youth are subject to self-

medication though the use of alcoholic products, allowing them to achieve lower inhibitions and

higher socialization potential in social settings (p.2). This dynamic is expressed as a coping

strategy, as the study found that young socially anxious individuals often use alcohol in

anticipation of a social event, allowing them to engage in, rather than avoid the situation. Also,

the encouragement of drinking to reduce social aversions is common in youth groups, with the

rate of endorsement in the sample group being alarmingly high (p.5). This serves to demonstrate

the relationship between adolescent social anxiety and drinking; young people with social phobia

drink for the relief of social ineptitude, and this behavior is commonly encouraged by peers.

Matos, M., Pinto-Gouveia, J., & Gilbert, P. (2013). The Effect of Shame and Shame Memories

on Paranoid Ideation and Social Anxiety. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, (4), 334.

Retrieved from https://0-search-ebscohost-

com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgih&AN=edsgcl.336104893&site=eds-

live&scope=site

Shameful memories and life events contribute to feelings of social anxiety during adulthood. In a

study conducted by Matos et al. (2012), it is asserted that distressing and shameful occurrences

experienced earlier in life contribute to depression and related socially anxious behaviors

(p.337). To add further definition, “internal shame”, or an overt focus on self-perceived blunders

and shortcomings, becomes a contributing factor to a growing sense of inadequacy in social

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situations for socially anxious persons, as demonstrated by the related study (p.344). Memories

that are predominantly (internally) shameful, such as exclusion, embarrassment or rejection, thus

negatively contribute to the social anxiety body by serving as anchoring points for one’s sense of

self-identity. This evidence illustrates the relationship between social aversion and shame, as

shameful experiences are demonstrated to contribute to both poor self-image and aversion to

social situations/judgement.

Primary Sources

Espinoza, E. (2005). Dean honored for dedication to first-year students. The Prospector,7.

The provisioning of first-year guidance, education and advising to incoming students allows for

higher retention rates for universities. In reporting the development of programs intended to help

incoming freshmen declare a major and make the proper adaptations to college life, Espinoza

(2005) states that these services have contributed to a steadily growing retention rate since their

implementation (p. 7). Improvements made in programs such as developmental English, tutoring

in writing and math, and college transition classes have all contributed to an increase in student

satisfaction and thus, student retention (p.7). In contrast, the retention rates for students that do

not engage in the programs are extremely low (p. 7). This evidence is a clear indication that

concerted efforts to provide additional aid in the form of student success programs such as those

mentioned will allow for more students that are both dedicated and satisfied.

Briefly: Social Anxiety Creeps In (1984, March 20), The Prospector, 2.

Feelings of social anxiety can be derived from various social situations. Social fear is described

as being on a variable spectrum of intensity, ranging from pre-performance jitters to debilitating

phobia that confines victims to their homes (“Social anxiety”, 1984). Everyday sources of social
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aversion come from specific situations; dating jitters, social gatherings and stage fright are some

common areas in which social phobia can be experienced. This proves that social anxiety can

have many sources because there are multiple distinct social situations and interactions that can

serve to worsen it.

Annotated Bibliography 11

Bibliography

Beidel, D. C., & Turner, S. M. (2007). Shy children, phobic adults : Nature and treatment of

social anxiety disorder Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, ©2007;

2nd ed.

Briefly: Social Anxiety Creeps In (1984, March 20), The Prospector, 2.

Cohen, M. R. (2011). Social literacy : a social skills seminar for young adults with ASDs, NLDs,

and social anxiety. Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co. Retrieved from http://0-

search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat04704a&AN=nug.b248

9645&site=eds-live&scope=site

Espinoza, E. (2005). Dean honored for dedication to first-year students. The Prospector,7.

Ko, C.-Y. A., & Chang, Y. (2019). Investigating the Relationships Among Resilience, Social

Anxiety, and Procrastination in a Sample of College Students. Psychological Reports,

122(1), 231–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294118755111

LeBeau, R. T. (2014). Social Pain and the Onset of Social Anxiety Disorder. UCLA. ProQuest

ID: LeBeau_ucla_0031D_12605. Merritt ID: ark:/13030/m5km0s7h. Retrieved from

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7zf193xj

Matos, M., Pinto-Gouveia, J., & Gilbert, P. (2013). The Effect of Shame and Shame Memories

on Paranoid Ideation and Social Anxiety. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, (4), 334.

Retrieved from https://0-search-ebscohost-

com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgih&AN=edsgcl.336104893&site=eds-

live&scope=site
Annotated Bibliography 12

Mikulich, A. (2019, March 02). THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SOCIAL ANXIETY.

Retrieved from https://nationalsocialanxietycenter.com/2016/12/20/the-impact-of-social-

media-on-social-anxiety/

Mruk, C. J. (1999). Self-esteem: Research, theory, and practice. New York: Springer Pub.34

Stein, M. B. (1995). Social phobia: Clinical and research perspectives Washington, DC :

American Psychiatric Press, c1995; 1st ed.

Suzanne E. Thomas, Carrie L. Randall, and, & Maureen H. Carrigan. (2003). Drinking to Cope

in Socially Anxious Individuals: A Controlled Study. Alcoholism: Clinical &

Experimental Research, 27(12), 1937. Retrieved from https://0-search-ebscohost-

Van Ameringen, M., Mancini, C., & Farvolden, P. (2003). The impact of anxiety disorders on

educational achievement doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0887-6185(02)00228-1