Comparing Fear of Positive Evaluation to Fear of Negative Evaluation in Predicting Anxiety from a Social Challenge

This study compared FNE and FPE scales in predicting anxious responding to a social challenge. 101 undergraduate participants completed a social manipulation requiring them to deliver a 3 minute videotaped speech they believed would be rated by faculty judges. Participants then received bogus positive, negative, or no feedback and were informed they were selected to present their speech directly to the panel of judges. FNE was the strongest predictor of state anxiety following the initial speech task, while FNE and FPE predicted somatic response to this task. Regardless of feedback type, FPE was a significant predictor of anxiety during the second speech task. Results are consistent with an overall cognitive model of social anxiety and suggest that FPE and FNE are distinct predictors of anxiety the under specific conditions.