Are Socially Anxious Children Poor or Advanced Mindreaders
2019
textabstractWhy are some children more socially anxious than others? One theory holds that socially anxious children are poor
mindreaders, which hampers their social interactions; another that socially anxious children are advanced mindreaders
leading to heightened self-consciousness in social situations. To test these theories simultaneously, this
study (N = 105, ages 8–12) assessed children’s mindreading (accuracy in detecting mental states from the eye
region), self-consciousness (indexed as physiological blushing during public performance), and social anxiety
levels. Results support both theories, showing a quadratic relation between mindreading and social anxiety. Low
mindreading was related to clinical levels of social anxiety. High mindreading was related to subclinical levels of
social anxiety through blushing. Our findings suggest two social-cognitive pathways to heightened social anxiety.
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