Social anxiety is a pervasive part of everyday life. Whether experienced during public speaking, in casual conversation, or in interactions with a boss, a potential romantic partner, or a complete stranger, feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and awkwardness are often the consequence of quite ordinary encounters. Why does social anxiety occur? Why are some people more prone to it than others? A complete and authoritative review of the latest theory and research, this book examines the situational, dispositional, and evolutionary causes of social anxiety, its physiological, cognitive, and emotional aspects, and strategies for prevention and treatment. Special features include scales for measuring different manifestations of social anxiety as well as concise boxed segments highlighting topics of particular interest.
Mark R. Leary, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University. His research focuses on the processes by which people think about and evaluate themselves; the effects of self-reflection on emotion and psychological well-being; and how people are influenced by concerns about how they are perceived and evaluated by others. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and a recipient of the Lifetime Career Award from the International Society for Self and Identity. Dr. Leary was the founding editor of the journal
Self and Identity and is currently Editor of
Personality and Social Psychology Review.
Robin Mark Kowalski, PhD, has taught at Wake Forest University and Western Carolina University, where she is currently Assistant Professor of Psychology. Her research interests include social anxiety, social psychological factors in health and illness, gender and aggression, and complaining. Her research on complaining has received national attention, including an appearance on NBC's Today Show.