Laughter perception in social anxiety. (January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ritter, Jan; Brück, Carolin; Jacob, Heike; Wildgruber, Dirk; Kreifelts, Benjamin
• Is Part Of: Journal of psychiatric research. Volume 60(2015:Jan.)
• Page Start: 178
• Page End: 184
• Publication Date: 2015-01
• Subjects: Emotion -- Laughter -- Nonverbal -- Prosody -- Social anxiety -- Vocalizations; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Mental Disorders -- Periodicals; Maladies mentales -- Périodiques; Psychiatry; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.89005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.09.021
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3956

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Laughter is a powerful signal of social acceptance or rejection while the fear of being embarrassed and humiliated is central in social anxiety (SA). This type of anxiety is associated with cognitive biases indicating increased sensitivity to social threat as well as with deficits in emotion regulation. Both are thought to be implicated in the maintenance of social anxiety. Method: Using laughter as a novel stimulus, we investigated cognitive biases and their modulation through emotion regulation and cue ambiguity in individuals with varying degrees of SA ( N = 60). Results: A combination of a negative laughter interpretation bias and an attention bias away from joyful/social inclusive laughter in SA was observed. Both biases were not attributable to effects of general anxiety and were closely correlated with the concept of gelotophobia, the fear of being laughed at. Discussion: Thus, our study demonstrates altered laughter perception in SA. Furthermore, it highlights the usefulness of laughter as a highly prevalent social signal for future research on the interrelations of interpretation and attention biases in SA and their modulation through emotion regulation. Highlights: We used laughter as a novel stimulus to elucidate cognitive biases in social anxiety. We observed a negative laughter interpretation bias in social anxiety (SA). We observed an attention bias away from joyful/social inclusive laughter in SA. Both biases were correlated with gelotophobia, the fear of being laughed at.