Carmem Beatriz Neufeld1, Priscila Goergen Brust-Renck2, Priscila de Camargo Palma1, José Alexandre de Souza Crippa3. 1. Departamento de Psicologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. 2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil. 3. Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Some individuals are more susceptible to recalling false information about events that never happened in their life. Nevertheless, there are several factors, such as personality characteristics, that appear to be related to memory performance. Social anxiety also provokes memory deficits for events that happen to other people, because these individuals tend to focus on their own inner selves rather than on external signs. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of the personality characteristics of individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) on memory performance. METHODS: In this study, 183 university students had their memory tested using a complex emotional story about a mother and her son. Only subjects without clinical symptoms of depression and general anxiety (N = 148; 61 with SAD) were included in the study. Participants were compared for differences in personality characteristics using the Factorial Inventory of Personality and for SAD using the Social Phobia Inventory. RESULTS: The main results showed that memory performance of individuals with low percentile ranks in the personality characteristic dominance, i.e., those with low self-esteem, remembered more true information about the story than those with high scores when they did not have SAD. CONCLUSION: The results are helpful to foster better understanding of the personality characteristics related to SAD, such as low dominance, which implies low self-esteem and difficulties with trust and with imposing themselves on others. The results could help development and improvement of techniques for therapeutic intervention.
INTRODUCTION: Some individuals are more susceptible to recalling false information about events that never happened in their life. Nevertheless, there are several factors, such as personality characteristics, that appear to be related to memory performance. Social anxiety also provokes memory deficits for events that happen to other people, because these individuals tend to focus on their own inner selves rather than on external signs. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of the personality characteristics of individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) on memory performance. METHODS: In this study, 183 university students had their memory tested using a complex emotional story about a mother and her son. Only subjects without clinical symptoms of depression and general anxiety (N = 148; 61 with SAD) were included in the study. Participants were compared for differences in personality characteristics using the Factorial Inventory of Personality and for SAD using the Social Phobia Inventory. RESULTS: The main results showed that memory performance of individuals with low percentile ranks in the personality characteristic dominance, i.e., those with low self-esteem, remembered more true information about the story than those with high scores when they did not have SAD. CONCLUSION: The results are helpful to foster better understanding of the personality characteristics related to SAD, such as low dominance, which implies low self-esteem and difficulties with trust and with imposing themselves on others. The results could help development and improvement of techniques for therapeutic intervention.
Entities:
Keywords:
Personality; arousal; emotions; memory; social phobia