Connection of social anxiety to impaired pattern of cognitive control and underlying motivational deficiencies: Evidence from event-related potentials

Ruonan Zhao; Cai Xu; Guangyuan Shi; Chieh Li; Siyang Shao; Fangfang Shangguan; Lixia Cui

doi:10.1111/psyp.14598

Connection of social anxiety to impaired pattern of cognitive control and underlying motivational deficiencies: Evidence from event-related potentials

Psychophysiology. 2024 May 1:e14598. doi: 10.1111/psyp.14598. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ruonan Zhao¹, Cai Xu¹, Guangyuan Shi², Chieh Li³, Siyang Shao¹, Fangfang Shangguan¹, Lixia Cui¹

Affiliations

¹ Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P.R. China.
² Department of Psychology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P.R. China.
³ Department of Applied Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

PMID: 38691392
DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14598

Abstract

Numerous studies have established a correlation between social anxiety and poor cognitive control. However, little is known about the cognitive control pattern of individuals with high social anxiety (HSAs) and the underlying mechanisms. Based on the Dual Mechanisms of Control framework and the Expected Value of Control theory, this study explored whether HSAs have an impaired cognitive control pattern (Experiment 1) and whether motivational deficiencies underlie the impaired control pattern (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, 21 individuals with low social anxiety (LSAs) and 21 HSAs completed an AX-Continuous Performance Task. Results showed that HSAs had a smaller P3b amplitude than LSAs, indicating their weakened proactive control in the cue processing stage, but a larger contingent negative variation (CNV) on cue B as compensation for the negative effects of anxiety in the response preparation stage. No group difference was found in N2 and P3a amplitude on probes, suggesting that reactive control in HSAs was not affected compared to LSAs. In Experiment 2, 21 LSAs and 21 HSAs completed a cued-flanker task, where the likelihood of proactive control engagement was manipulated. The results revealed that HSAs exhibited motivation deficiencies in engaging in proactive control, as evidenced by P3b, CNV amplitude, and response times. These findings shed light on the impaired cognitive control pattern of HSAs and suggest that motivational deficiencies may be the crucial underlying factor.

Keywords: cognitive control pattern; dual mechanisms of control framework; event‐related potential; expected value of control theory; social anxiety.

Abstract

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