Predicting Social Anxiety Symptoms Based on Cognitive and Metacognitive Factors

Social anxiety disorder (SAD), as a disabling disorder, involves a majority of individuals and seriously decreases their quality of life. Given that cognition and metacognition play a significant role in developing SAD symptoms, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between these factors and SAD symptoms. To do so, 200 students from XXX University, Iran, were recruited using the random cluster sampling method. The data were analyzed using the stepwise multiple regression analysis. Results showed that there were significant relationships between fear of negative evaluation, behavioral inhibition, the external focus of attention as cognitive factors, and SAD. Furthermore, there were also significant relationships between the necessity of thought control, uncontrollability, and danger, positive beliefs about worry, cognitive awareness/self-awareness, trust in memory as metacognitive components, and SAD. However, the results of multiple regression analysis indicated that although both cognitive and metacognitive factors significantly explained the severity of SAD symptoms (F = 55.67, R² = .60, p < .001), most of such effects accounted by cognitive factors compared to metacognitive components (R² = .53 vs. .7). It can be concluded that cognitive factors play a more important role in predicting SAD symptoms than metacognitive factors.