Publication Date
2025
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Valentiner, David P.
Degree Name
M.A. (Master of Arts)
Legacy Department
Department of Psychology
Abstract
Self-related processes play a significant role in the development and maintenance ofsocial anxiety, yet existing cognitive models have yet to fully elaborate these processes. This thesis explores how experiential dimensions of the self contribute to the organization of the self-concept among individuals with social anxiety. Specifically, the current study investigates whether deficits in emotional awareness (alexithymia) are associated with lower self-concept clarity, a characteristic commonly observed among socially anxious individuals. This thesis also examines whether experiential avoidance—an established maladaptive coping strategy— moderates or predicts the relationships between alexithymia, self-concept clarity, and social anxiety. Findings confirm that experiential avoidance is a key factor in maintaining social anxiety symptoms and highlight deficits in emotion processing and self-concept clarity as partial statistical mediators of this process. Experiential avoidance was further found to moderate the relationship between alexithymia and self-concept clarity. Implications for clinical practice and future research directions are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Graham, Allison, "Avoiding the Anxious Self: the Role of Self-Concept Clarity, Alexithymia, and Experiential Avoidance in Social Anxiety" (2025). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 8057.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/8057
Extent
79 pages
Language
en
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
