社會焦慮者的被動逃避學習歷程

研究目的與背景：社會焦慮疾患(Social anxiety disorder)是指個體在面對社交場合或是社交情境時會感到過度焦慮，並導致日常生活功能受損或造成個人明顯痛苦。社會焦慮疾患個體經常會做出逃避各種社交情境，或是在社交情境中表現出各種安全行為以避免可能得到他人的負向評價。焦慮者的逃避行為被認為與被動逃避學習歷程(passive avoidance learning)有關，本研究的主要目的在探討社會焦慮者的被動逃避學習歷程，同時探討情緒刺激對社會焦慮者之被動逃避學習歷程的影響。研究方法：本研究參與者共包含高社會焦慮參與者32人，以及低社會焦慮參與者56人，所有參與者均完成情緒GO-NOGO作業，並填寫包括BFNE、FPE、BIS/BAS量表、STAI-T與BDI-II等各項量表。研究結果：研究結果發現，高社會焦慮組比低社會焦慮組有較高的漏按錯誤率傾向，而在誤按錯誤率及反應時間，兩組則沒有顯著差異。組別與情緒臉孔均未有顯著的交互作用。相關分析的結果則顯示BIS的激發水準越高者，其害怕負向評價傾向越高、特質焦慮越高，且憂鬱症狀也越嚴重；BAS激發水準越低者，其害怕正向評價傾向越高、焦慮特質越高，且憂鬱症狀也越嚴重。迴歸分析的結果顯示個體的BIS/BAS的激發水準以及社會焦慮程度對於誤按錯誤率、漏按錯誤率、反應時間皆無顯著預測力。結論：本研究推論結果指出，高社會焦慮者相較於低社會焦慮者，在面對不確定的情境時會傾向不做出反應，以避免受到懲罰，但兩者在追求酬賞的傾向沒有顯著差異。

關鍵字

社會焦慮；被動逃避學習；行為抑制；行為激發

並列摘要

Research purpose and background: Social anxiety is characterized by excessive fear or anxiety during one or more social situations, causing impaired daily functioning and significant distress. Socially anxious individuals tend to avoid the feared social situations. Besides, they tend to implement safety behaviors (subtle avoidant behaviors) to reduce their anxiety in a social situation. Safety behaviors or avoidant behaviors implemented by anxious individuals have been assumed to be associated with passive avoidance learning. The present study aimed to investigate passive avoidance learning in socially anxious individuals. Furthermore, this study also examined the effect of emotional stimuli on passive avoidance learning in social anxiety. Research Method: Thirty two high socially anxious participants and 56 low socially anxious participants participated in the present study. All participants completed the emotional GO-NOGO task and self-reported scales including the BFNE, FPE, BIS/BAS scales, STAI-T, and BDI-II. Research Results: The results showed that high socially anxious participants had higher omission error rate than low socially anxious participants did. However, the commission error rates and reaction times did not differ between groups. Correlational analyses showed that individuals with higher BIS scores had higher levels of fear of negative evaluation, higher trait anxiety and higher levels of depressive symptoms. Individuals with lower BAS scores had higher levels of fear of positive evaluation, higher trait anxiety and higher levels of depressive symptoms. Regression analyses showed that the BIS/BAS scores and levels of social anxiety did not significantly predict participants’ commission error rates, omission error rates and reaction times. Conclusion: The present study suggests that compared with individuals with low social anxiety, individuals with high social anxiety would choose the response of “not responding” for avoiding punishment instead of pursuing rewards under uncertainty. However, high and low socially anxious individuals do not differ in their tendency to pursue rewards.