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Shame and social anxiety disorder

Changing Pathological Shame in Social Anxiety Disorder

Shame can be broadly defined as a global devaluation of the self, characterized by critical, judgmental, and condemning self-talk. Because shame motivates individuals to evaluate themselves harshly, they tend to behave in a more restrained and withdrawn manner in social situations. When a strong desire for positive reactions from others is combined with high levels of uncertainty, individuals may experience exaggerated shame (Schuster et al., 2021). To avoid this aversive state, social situations are often avoided (see e.g., Clark & Wells, 1995). Therefore, excessive shame plays an important role in the development and maintenance of several psychopathological disorders (e.g., depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, somatoform disorders), and particularly in social anxiety disorder (SAD; Gilbert & Miles, 2000; Hedman et al., 2013).

Excessive self-focused attention and adopting an observer perspective (the self as an object) are central components of the Clark and Wells model of social anxiety. Both mechanisms foster heightened shame and reinforce self-critical beliefs. In our research, we aim to investigate the efficacy and mechanisms of interventions targeting shame regulation.

A promising approach is Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT; Gilbert), which explicitly addresses shame. Self-compassion is a central construct of CFT and refers to taking a kind and understanding stance toward oneself in difficult situations, while recognizing that suffering is part of the shared human experience and mindfully accepting it (Neff, 2003b). Importantly, self-compassion extends beyond kindness—it also involves acknowledging suffering and the intention to alleviate it (Gilbert, 2010).

In an experimental study, we found that CFT significantly reduced shame and self-criticism in individuals with heightened social anxiety, highlighting its promise as an emotion-specific treatment approach for SAD (Fink-Lamotte, Hoyer et al., 2023).

As a complementary line of research, we are testing a chatbot-based micro-intervention. Using a secure messaging platform (e.g., Signal), individuals with elevated shame receive daily, short prompts fostering self-compassion. This project examines the potential of large language models (LLMs) as low-threshold tools for shame regulation.

Cooperations with:

Interventions used (use freely available)

For the induction of shame  (For use in experiments; Fink-Lamotte, Hoyer et al., 2024):

For the treatment of shame:

Social Anxiety Disorder and Ambivalence Toward Exposure

Ambivalence refers to the simultaneous presence of both positive and negative associations with a given object or situation. Prior to undergoing exposure therapy, patients are therefore often in an ambivalent state. While exposure therapy is among the most effective interventions for a broad range of mental disorders (e.g., anxiety disorders; Stangier & Frydrich, 2002), it also requires patients to directly confront their most feared situations. As shown in a qualitative study by Purdon and Clark (2005), individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD), panic disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) frequently reported worries and fears about undergoing exposure therapy. Such motivational concerns are assumed to undermine treatment outcomes (e.g., Abramowitz & Arch, 2014).

In SAD specifically, social situations that may trigger aversive emotions such as fear are often avoided or managed through safety behaviors. Although this provides short-term relief, it reinforces the disorder in the long-term (Clark & Wells, 1995). As a result, patients face exposure to aversive stimuli with ambivalence, which reduces treatment motivation. Addressing long-term goals (e.g., strengthening motivation or personal values) may therefore help to reduce ambivalence and enhance intrinsic treatment motivation. Several approaches have been discussed::

  • Facilitating contact with other patients who have successfully completed exposure
  • Directly enhancing motivation through Motivational Interviewing, or by strengthening self-relevance (e.g., “Why do I want to do this?”) and perceived competence (e.g., “I can do this!”) (Fink-Lamotte, Lüders, & Exner, 2021)
  • Activating personal values in line with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which has been suggested to reduce ambivalence (Twohig et al., 2015, 2018)

In a recent study (Brinkmann et al., submitted), we developed and validated a novel decision-making paradigm based on the ABC model of ambivalence (van Harreveld et al., 2015) to assess willingness to engage in behavioral experiments among individuals with SAD.

Furthermore, across two intervention studies, we found that combining self-compassion with values-based reflection significantly increased motivation to face socially threatening situations. Cognitive reappraisal also proved effective. These findings suggest that both affective factors (e.g., shame) and cognitive components (e.g., goal–value conflicts) should be addressed to enhance willingness to engage in exposure-based therapy.

Cooperations with:

Contributions
Brinkmann, F., Wagner, A., Kühne, F., Hoyer, J., Exner, C., & Fink-Lamotte, J. (2024). Enhancing motivation for therapy: Comparing two interventions for reducing ambivalence towards confronting social situations. Poster presented at the 3rd Deutscher Psychotherapie Kongress, Berlin, Germany, June 12.

Emotion Processing and Perception in Social Anxiety Disorder

In our work with adolescents and adults, we investigated neural responses to emotional stimuli and processes of social evaluation.

Across two EEG studies (Rauschenbach et al., 2024; Rauschenbach et al., 2025) children and adolescents with social anxiety disorder (SAD) showed altered early and late event-related potentials in response to emotionally ambiguous faces –even in contexts that would typically reduce threat interpretations. These findings indicate stable attentional and interpretative biases that may be central to the symptomatology of SAD.

 

Contributions:

Rauschenbach, A. L., Hauffe, V., Fink-Lamotte, J., Tuschen-Caffier, B., & Schmitz, J. (2025). Effects of social context information on neural face processing in youth with social anxiety disorder. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 10.1111/jcpp.70026. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.70026

Rauschenbach, A. L., Hauffe, V., Fink-Lamotte, J., Tuschen-Caffier, B., & Schmitz, J. (2024). Reduced early neural processing of faces in children and adolescents with social anxiety disorder. Biological psychology, 191, 108827. doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108827

Shame, Social Anxiety, and the Climate Crisis

Our research examines how moral emotions such as shame and social norms influence environmental behavior and mental health. Specifically, we examine climate shame, self-efficacy, and injunctive norms as psychological mechanisms of change. The results should contribute to a better understanding of the psychological processes that shape environmental behavior and to the development of interventions to promote sustainable lifestyles.

In an initial study, inducing shame heightened negative emotions and depressive symptoms, whereas activating social norms increased pro-environmental intentions without emotional costs. These findings illustrate both the risks of shame-based messaging and the motivational potential of social norms for sustainable lifestyles.

In a second study, we used a refined version of the paradigm by combining norm and shame manipulations with a validated decision-making task to track behavioral intentions and emotions over time.

 

Cooperations with:

 

Contributions

Wolski, M., Reese, G., & Fink-Lamotte, J. (2024). Einfluss von Klimascham und injunktiver Normen auf die Bereitschaft zu Umweltverhalten und psychisches Wohlbefinden. Poster was presented at the 3rd Deutscher Psychotherapie Kongress, Berlin, Germany, June, 12.

 

Psychological Flexibility and Strengthening Democracy

In collaboration with the Regional Center for Democratic Culture (Demokratienetzwerk, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), we investigate how emotions such as shame, anger, and fear are associated with political rigidity and cognitive inflexibility in the context of democratic participation. To address these processes, we are developing micro-interventions delivered via a stage-based, AI-assisted chatbot drawing on the Stages of Change model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1982). The aim is to enhance perspective-taking, tolerance of ambiguity, and resilience, thereby reducing shame, anger, and fear as mechanisms of societal polarization. The project will first be implemented and evaluated in two schools in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

 

Cooperations with:

 

Contributions

Brakemeier, E.-L., Stapel, S., Fink-Lamotte, J., Seeck, M., Ulbricht, C. Walther, E., Willingmann, A., & Zietlow, A.-L. (2025). Psychische Gesundheit und Demokratieförderung. Panel was presented at the 4th Deutschen Psychotherapie Kongress, Berlin, Germany; April, 8-11.