Anxiety Sensitivity Social Concerns Predicts Electrodermal Activity during the Niacin Biological Challenge Paradigm
Anxiety sensitivity social concerns (ASSC), or the fear of observable anxiety symptoms, is a risk factor for social anxiety. ASSC predicts anxiety following the niacin biological challenge, a paradigm in which niacin is used to manipulate facial flushing during a speech task. However, it remains unc...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Psychiatry International |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/3/4/28 |
| _version_ | 1797455513290539008 |
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| author | Kevin G. Saulnier Marija Volarov Nicholas P. Allan |
| author_facet | Kevin G. Saulnier Marija Volarov Nicholas P. Allan |
| author_sort | Kevin G. Saulnier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anxiety sensitivity social concerns (ASSC), or the fear of observable anxiety symptoms, is a risk factor for social anxiety. ASSC predicts anxiety following the niacin biological challenge, a paradigm in which niacin is used to manipulate facial flushing during a speech task. However, it remains unclear if ASSC predicts physiological arousal during this task. The current study was designed to examine the effects of ASSC on self-reported distress and electrodermal activity (EDA) during the niacin biological challenge in a sample of undergraduates (<i>N</i> = 36; <i>M</i> age = 18.9, <i>SD</i> = 0.84; 69.4% female). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 (100 mg niacin vs. 100 mg sugar) × 2 (instructional set) design. Participants completed a speech task in a virtual reality environment. Participants rated their distress halfway through the speech and EDA was averaged over four intervals. There was a main effect for ASSC on subjective distress. There was a significant ASSC by condition interaction predicting EDA, in that ASSC was related to EDA only in the niacin condition. ASSC also was more strongly related to EDA anticipating the speech. These findings highlight the role of ASSC in predicting anxiety and physiological arousal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:55:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50b389c9ae8c42a285d7d6724cb163f2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-5318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:55:22Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psychiatry International |
| spelling | doaj.art-50b389c9ae8c42a285d7d6724cb163f22023-11-24T17:42:14ZengMDPI AGPsychiatry International2673-53182022-12-013433634510.3390/psychiatryint3040028Anxiety Sensitivity Social Concerns Predicts Electrodermal Activity during the Niacin Biological Challenge ParadigmKevin G. Saulnier0Marija Volarov1Nicholas P. Allan2Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USADepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Sport and Psychology, Educons University, 21208 Novi Sad, SerbiaWexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USAAnxiety sensitivity social concerns (ASSC), or the fear of observable anxiety symptoms, is a risk factor for social anxiety. ASSC predicts anxiety following the niacin biological challenge, a paradigm in which niacin is used to manipulate facial flushing during a speech task. However, it remains unclear if ASSC predicts physiological arousal during this task. The current study was designed to examine the effects of ASSC on self-reported distress and electrodermal activity (EDA) during the niacin biological challenge in a sample of undergraduates (<i>N</i> = 36; <i>M</i> age = 18.9, <i>SD</i> = 0.84; 69.4% female). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 (100 mg niacin vs. 100 mg sugar) × 2 (instructional set) design. Participants completed a speech task in a virtual reality environment. Participants rated their distress halfway through the speech and EDA was averaged over four intervals. There was a main effect for ASSC on subjective distress. There was a significant ASSC by condition interaction predicting EDA, in that ASSC was related to EDA only in the niacin condition. ASSC also was more strongly related to EDA anticipating the speech. These findings highlight the role of ASSC in predicting anxiety and physiological arousal.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/3/4/28social anxietyanxiety sensitivityelectrodermal activityvirtual reality |
| spellingShingle | Kevin G. Saulnier Marija Volarov Nicholas P. Allan Anxiety Sensitivity Social Concerns Predicts Electrodermal Activity during the Niacin Biological Challenge Paradigm Psychiatry International social anxiety anxiety sensitivity electrodermal activity virtual reality |
| title | Anxiety Sensitivity Social Concerns Predicts Electrodermal Activity during the Niacin Biological Challenge Paradigm |
| title_full | Anxiety Sensitivity Social Concerns Predicts Electrodermal Activity during the Niacin Biological Challenge Paradigm |
| title_fullStr | Anxiety Sensitivity Social Concerns Predicts Electrodermal Activity during the Niacin Biological Challenge Paradigm |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anxiety Sensitivity Social Concerns Predicts Electrodermal Activity during the Niacin Biological Challenge Paradigm |
| title_short | Anxiety Sensitivity Social Concerns Predicts Electrodermal Activity during the Niacin Biological Challenge Paradigm |
| title_sort | anxiety sensitivity social concerns predicts electrodermal activity during the niacin biological challenge paradigm |
| topic | social anxiety anxiety sensitivity electrodermal activity virtual reality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/3/4/28 |
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