Mental or behavioral acts that reduce anxiety in social situations, such as avoiding eye contact or rehearsing sentences before speaking are called __.
Question 32 options:
obsessions
ruminations
safety behaviors
cognitive restructures
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is: safety behaviors
Explanation
Safety behaviors are mental or behavioral strategies that individuals with anxiety—particularly social anxiety—use to prevent or reduce the feared consequences of social situations. These actions are not inherently harmful, but they can become problematic when they are relied upon excessively to manage anxiety. Examples of safety behaviors include avoiding eye contact, rehearsing sentences before speaking, speaking softly, avoiding confrontation, or mentally preparing “safe” topics of conversation.
In the context of social anxiety disorder (SAD), safety behaviors are often used to reduce the perceived risk of embarrassment, rejection, or humiliation. For instance, someone with social anxiety might avoid eye contact to prevent drawing attention to themselves, or they may rehearse what they are going to say repeatedly in their mind to ensure they don’t sound foolish. While these behaviors may offer temporary relief from anxiety, they inadvertently reinforce the individual’s belief that social situations are inherently threatening and that they are incapable of coping without such strategies.
From a cognitive-behavioral perspective, safety behaviors are a maintenance factor in anxiety disorders. They prevent individuals from fully engaging in social situations and from learning that their fears are often unfounded or exaggerated. This can hinder long-term recovery. As a result, many therapeutic approaches, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for social anxiety, aim to identify and gradually reduce the use of safety behaviors. This is often done through exposure therapy, where individuals are encouraged to face feared situations without relying on safety behaviors, thereby challenging and ultimately changing their negative beliefs about social interactions.
In contrast:
- Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted thoughts or urges (typically in OCD).
- Ruminations are repetitive, passive focus on distressing symptoms or causes.
- Cognitive restructuring is a therapeutic technique used to challenge and reframe negative thought patterns.
Thus, safety behaviors best describe the mental or behavioral acts used to reduce anxiety in social situations.
