Behavioral Inhibition and Social Anxiety

Abstract: The Detection and Dual Control (DDC) model and others have proposed attentional biases toward threat and high sensitivity as mediating factors, and cognitive control as a moderating factor, in the relationship between behavioral inhibition (BI) and social anxiety. However, few studies have elucidated the models by using all the factors simultaneously. The purpose of the present study was to confirm the DDC model using self-reported scales. Five hundred and thirty-seven Japanese participants completed the scale in an online survey. The findings indicated that BI, social anxiety, attentional bias, high sensitivity, and effortful control were significantly correlated. Moderated mediation analysis revealed that even after controlling for age, attentional bias and high sensitivity partially mediated the pathway from BI to social anxiety. In addition, the indirect effect of high sensitivity was moderated by effortful control. The indirect path was not significant when effortful control was high. These results partially support the DDC model and others. Attentional bias and high sensitivity contribute to the development of social anxiety symptoms in individuals with BI. However, effortful control has the potential to suppress this process by reducing the effects of high sensitivity on social anxiety.