“Don't put me down but don't be too nice to me either”: Fear of positive vs. negative evaluation and responses to positive vs. negative social-evaluative films

Abstract

Background and objectives The bivalent fear of evaluation (BFOE) model suggests that fears of negative evaluation (FNE) and positive evaluation (FPE) are distinct features in social anxiety disorder as well as in non-clinical variations of social anxiety. The constructs can be measured utilizing the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale – Revised (BFNE-R) and the Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale (FPES), respectively. Whereas the distinction between FNE and FPE has been well examined in survey studies, concomitant evidence from laboratory tasks is scarce. Methods The present study tested whether subjective unpleasantness responses to short films simulating positive and negative evaluation from others are related to individual differences in FNE and FPE. Ninety-eight unselected individuals watched 24 short films displaying actors expressing positive, negative and neutral sentences and rated their responses on unpleasantness. Furthermore, pride responses to positive films were examined since these can be expected to discriminate between FPE and FNE. Results As expected, higher BFNE-R scores were related to more unpleasant responding to negative films, whereas higher FPES scores were related to more unpleasant responding to positive films. Furthermore, experience of pride following positive films correlated positively with BFNE-R, but negatively with FPES scores. Limitations Participants were university students which limits representativeness. Conclusions The study revealed that measures of FNE and FPE show distinct relationships with positive and negative social feedback which provides further evidence for the BFOE model in a laboratory setting.