Comparative Thinking and Clinical Social Anxiety: Within- and Between-Person Effects in a Daily Ecological Momentary Assessment Study and a Four-Wave Longitudinal Study

Comparisons with social, expectation-based, counterfactual, and temporal standards may play a significant role in the maintenance of social anxiety disorder (SAD). The general comparative-processing model outlines the comparison process, encompassing comparison frequency, discrepancy, and affective/behavioral impact. For instance, an individual may frequently compare their performance to their colleagues’, perceive themselves as less competent, and consequently experience negative emotions that lead to avoidance. Two studies examined these processes across different time frames. In a ten-day ecological momentary assessment with 133 individuals with probable SAD, daily stressors and all comparison components (frequency, discrepancy, impact) were positively linked to social anxiety, both between and within individuals. Additionally, comparison affective and behavioral impact were significant within-person mediators. In Study 2 with 376 participants and four assessments over one year, stable between-person effects and less consistent within-person effects were found. Findings advance our understanding of comparative thinking in SAD and may inform related therapeutic interventions.