Social Phobia: Assessment and Treatment of Social Skills

Social phobia is a debilitating condition that can cause severe social, emotional, educational, and occupational functioning problems. Evidence suggests that individuals with social phobia are deficient in social skills, but the exact skills deficits have not been elucidated. This study will comprise two substudies: one will examine social skills deficits in social phobics and determine how they differ from those of people without social phobia; the other will determine if skills deficits in social phobics can be improved and whether improvements will affect overall social functioning. Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to one of three groups for 16 weeks: an exposure group, a social skills training and exposure (SET) group, or a wait-list control group. Interviews, self-reports, and simulated role plays will be used to assess the social skills of participants.