| My Role |
Team |
Affiliation |
Timeline |
| Lead Qualitative Researcher |
Myself
3 Researchers |
USC SOLVE-IT Lab |
Jan 2019 - Aug 2019 |
Problem
Individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) often feel isolated, even though they want close relationships. Understanding their experiences is crucial for creating effective interventions.
Impact
Pioneered comprehensive communication strategies tailored for individuals with social anxiety disorder within the health communication field.
Introduced effective communication strategies applicable to the treatment of individuals with social anxiety disorder.
Research Questions
What triggers social anxiety in different situations?
What drives individuals with SAD to either avoid or seek social interactions?
How do individuals with SAD typically cope with and manage their social anxiety?
Goals
Find out what individuals with SAD experience, which can be used to develop realistic social situations in VR interventions.
Research Design
Interviewed 30 individuals with SAD in 2019.
Conducted an hour-long semi-structured interview for each participant.
Analysis
Recorded and transcribed the interviews.
Analyzed themes using NVivo.
Themes
Social anxiety is induced when...
The conversation partner has different intentions than oneself.
Backgrounds vary between oneself and others.
There is pressure to present one's best self.
Motivation to socialize depends on...
How beneficial it is to socialize.
How confident one is in social skills.
How friendly the other person appears to be.
Strageties to manage social anxiety is to...
Avoid socializing.
Plan ahead for inevitable socializing.
Act like a different person.
Findings
Individuals with SAD have the need to belong, but dislike social interactions. They desire socializing, but they do not have adequate social skills.
Basic social communication skills may not be naturally learned for individuals with SAD. Social skills training is necessary for individuals with SAD.
Recommendations
Clinicians can help individuals with SAD practice responding to various scripted social situations for more positive interactions.
Interventionists can support individuals with SAD by initially engaging them in social interactions with friendly partners, gradually reducing the partner's friendliness over time.
Room for Improvement
Acknowledge the sensitivity of individuals with social anxiety disorder, recognizing the potential discomfort linked to interview recordings. Given that interviewees expressed sensitivity about being recorded, as a sole interviewer, I had to simultaneously take notes and conduct interviews. This dual responsibility occasionally led to challenges in juggling tasks, resulting in the potential loss of some information. To address this, consider opting for a separate note-taker for participants who choose not to be recorded, facilitating the interviewer's focus on the interviewing process.
Learn More
Click the image to check out my first-authored journal article published in
Health Communication based on this project
