Abstract

ANGELICO, Antonio Paulo; CRIPPA, José Alexandre S.  and  LOUREIRO, Sonia Regina. Social anxiety disorder and social skills for speaking in public: experimental study. Estud. pesqui. psicol. [online]. 2012, vol.12, n.1, pp. 10-35. ISSN 1808-4281.

Speaking in public is considered an important psychosocial stressor. The objective of this investigation was to compare and characterize the repertoire of social skills displayed by college students suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and non-cases in a structured experimental situation, Simulation of Public Speaking Test (SPST). 26 undergraduate students participated, 13 of whom were diagnosed with SAD, and 13 non-cases of any psychiatric disorder (non-case group). These groups showed no significant differences for most behavioral markers of anxiety. A larger number of subjects in the non-case group were assessed as having a level of appropriate social skills for speaking in public, in comparison with the case group. The groups differed significantly on most items indicative of the ability to speak in public of the Social Skills Inventory (IHS-Del-Prette). It is considered that the assessment through SPST may facilitate the planning of social skills training programs.

Keywords : Social anxiety disorder; public speaking; social skills; anxiety; college students.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )