(PS2-B35) An Experimental Examination of the Role of Social Safety Behavior in Loneliness

Recent research has found a strong link between loneliness and social anxiety above and beyond other psychological constructs. Given these strong relationships, the present study sought to determine if mechanisms that maintain social anxiety may also affect loneliness. Specifically, the present study used an experimental design to evaluate the role of social safety behaviors (SBs; behaviors intended to avoid, prevent, or manage threat) in loneliness. Participants (N = 132) with elevated social anxiety were randomized to a two-week SB fading manipulation or a no-instruction control. SB fading led to significantly reduced loneliness at post-manipulation, relative to the control condition, but this effect was only found in individuals high in baseline loneliness. Additionally, SB fading led to reduced interpretation bias, another key mechanism found to maintain social anxiety. Finally, a moderated mediation model found that for individuals high in pre-manipulation loneliness, change in loneliness was accounted for by change in interpretation bias. Taken together, these findings indicate that targeting SB may be a viable method of addressing loneliness, though further research is needed.