@article{ref1,
title="Influence of alcohol on social anxiety: An investigation of attentional, physiological and behavioral effects",
journal="Biological psychology",
year="2014",
author="Stevens, Stephan and Cludius, Barbara and Bantin, Trisha and Hermann, Christiane and Gerlach, Alexander L.",
volume="96",
number="",
pages="126-133",
abstract="Social anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorders are highly comorbid. It remains unclear, however, if and how alcohol influences attentional processes and physical symptoms in social anxiety. In a balanced-placebo-design, high and normally socially anxious participants gave a speech while performing a task, which simultaneously measures internal and external attention. Only high anxious participants showed a preferential processing of external probes, which was eliminated by alcohol or the mere expectation of drinking alcohol. Furthermore, alcohol reduced facial blushing as well as self-reported social anxiety during public speaking. Decreases in anxiety were significantly associated with a reduction of the external focus in the high anxious group. Understanding alcohol as a substance influencing cognitive processes as well as physiological symptoms of anxiety further contributes to our understanding of alcohol use as a safety behavior in social anxiety disorder.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0301-0511",
doi="10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.12.004",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.12.004"
}