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Rubin M, Gebhardt ES, Malloy L, Telch MJ. Multimodal Remote Research on Social Anxiety Using a New Teleconferencing Paradigm. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2023; 47:423-430. [PMID: 37168697 PMCID: PMC10097519 DOI: 10.1007/s10608-023-10371-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Background Social anxiety is a prevalent mental health concern. Models of social anxiety incorporate multifaceted components from cognitive appraisals to attention as factors maintaining the disorder. Multimodal research investigating multiple facets of social anxiety simultaneously offers an important avenue to advance our understanding of the disorder. Methods The current study tested a novel, internet-based simulated teleconferencing interaction social stressor challenge and included the collection of self-report, eye-tracking, and auditory vocal data during the challenge. Participants (N = 262) completed two interactions. The pre-recorded male and female audience members (assigned to display interest or uninterest) discussed a topic and then prompted the participant to speak on that topic. Results Fidelity indices revealed that most participants rated the interactions with the simulated audience as realistic; reported heightened subjective distress during the simulated teleconferencing interactions; and correctly rated audience members' level of interest. As predicted, social anxiety predicted participants' subjective distress during the simulated teleconferencing interactions. Findings from audio vocal and eye tracking analyses largely corresponded to prior research - indicating that social anxiety influences audio vocal responses and patterns of attention during social stressors. Conclusions Taken together, these findings suggest that the simulated teleconferencing interaction framework introduced here offers a potentially useful approach for the remote investigation of mechanisms underpinning social anxiety. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10608-023-10371-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Rubin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
- Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Eli S. Gebhardt
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Luna Malloy
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
| | - Michael J. Telch
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX USA
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Mullen JN, Liu P, McDonnell CG, Stanton K, Kotelnikova Y, Johnson SL, Hayden EP. Assessing the dominance behavioral system in early childhood using observational methods. CURRENT ISSUES IN PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 11:216-227. [PMID: 38014381 PMCID: PMC10654335 DOI: 10.5114/cipp/156767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The dominance behavioral system (DBS) is a biologically based system that underpins individual differences in motivation for dominance and power. However, little is known about the DBS in childhood. In order to make strong claims about the DBS's trait-like properties and predictive validity, a clearer understanding of its early development is required. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE In a pilot study aimed at developing a behavioral coding system for dominance, a key facet of the DBS, we collected and coded observational data from 58 children, assessed at ages 3 and 5-6. These data were examined in conjunction with measures of child temperament via observational measures, and symptoms of psychopathology. RESULTS Dominance was moderately stable in early childhood to a degree comparable to other early child temperament traits. Consistent with the study hypotheses, boys were more dominant than girls, and dominance was negatively associated with children's behavioral inhibition, effortful control, and internalizing symptoms. CONCLUSIONS These results provide initial support for the validity and developmental sensitivity of an objective coding system for assessing facets of the DBS in early childhood. Ultimately, the use of this coding system will facilitate future studies of how early DBS predicts psychological adjustment later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pan Liu
- Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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3
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Azoulay R, Gilboa-Schechtman E. The scarring impact of status loss in social anxiety: An evolutionary perspective. J Anxiety Disord 2022; 90:102600. [PMID: 35841783 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2022.102600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary models suggest that social anxiety (SA) is associated with sensitivity to status loss. These models make several additional predictions concerning the strength as well as the specificity of the association between post-event distress (PED) following status losses and SA. First, the strength of this association is postulated to be enhanced in men, especially following status losses inflicted by other men (intra-male status losses). Second, given the evolutionary postulated relationship between social status and physical fitness, sensitivity to status loss in SA is expected to extend to physically threatening events. We examined these predictions in four online samples (total N = 1123; 59% females, 27% above the cutoff for clinically elevated SA). In all studies, participants recalled social status-loss events and rated the emotional and distressing impact of these experiences. In two samples, participants also identified and recalled physically threatening events. Our findings were consistent with evolutionary predictions. SA was associated with PED following social status-loss events (β = 0.27). This association was stronger in men than in women (β = 0.40, β = 0.16, respectively). Moreover, the SA-PED association was especially enhanced following intra-male, compared to intra-female and inter-gender, status losses (β = 0.47, β = 0.26, and β = 0.17, respectively). Furthermore, SA was uniquely associated with PED following physically threatening events, over and above PED following social status-loss events (β = 0.21). Our data highlights the significant impact of socially and physically threatening events and delineates the scarring signature of such events in SA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Azoulay
- Department of Psychology and Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Center, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.
| | - Eva Gilboa-Schechtman
- Department of Psychology and Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Center, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
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Evaluating the Feasibility and Acceptability of an Artificial-Intelligence-Enabled and Speech-Based Distress Screening Mobile App for Adolescents and Young Adults Diagnosed with Cancer: A Study Protocol. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14040914. [PMID: 35205663 PMCID: PMC8870320 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14040914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients diagnosed with cancer are at a higher risk of psychological distress, which requires regular monitoring throughout their cancer journeys. Paper-and-pencil or digital surveys for psychological stress are often cumbersome to complete during a patient’s visit, and many patients find completing the same survey multiple times repetitive and boring. Recent advances in mobile technology and speech science have enabled flexible and engaging ways of monitoring psychological distress. This paper describes the scientific process we will use to evaluate an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled mobile app to monitor depression and anxiety among AYAs diagnosed with cancer. Abstract Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) diagnosed with cancer are an age-defined population, with studies reporting up to 45% of the population experiencing psychological distress. Although it is essential to screen and monitor for psychological distress throughout AYAs’ cancer journeys, many cancer centers fail to effectively implement distress screening protocols largely due to busy clinical workflow and survey fatigue. Recent advances in mobile technology and speech science have enabled flexible and engaging methods to monitor psychological distress. However, patient-centered research focusing on these methods’ feasibility and acceptability remains lacking. Therefore, in this project, we aim to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled and speech-based mobile application to monitor psychological distress among AYAs diagnosed with cancer. We use a single-arm prospective cohort design with a stratified sampling strategy. We aim to recruit 60 AYAs diagnosed with cancer and to monitor their psychological distress using an AI-enabled speech-based distress monitoring tool over a 6 month period. The primary feasibility endpoint of this study is defined by the number of participants completing four out of six monthly distress assessments, and the acceptability endpoint is defined both quantitatively using the acceptability of intervention measure and qualitatively using semi-structured interviews.
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König A, Mallick E, Tröger J, Linz N, Zeghari R, Manera V, Robert P. Measuring neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with early cognitive decline using speech analysis. Eur Psychiatry 2021; 64:e64. [PMID: 34641989 PMCID: PMC8581700 DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.2236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Certain neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), namely apathy, depression, and anxiety demonstrated great value in predicting dementia progression, representing eventually an opportunity window for timely diagnosis and treatment. However, sensitive and objective markers of these symptoms are still missing. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the association between automatically extracted speech features and NPS in patients with mild neurocognitive disorders. METHODS Speech of 141 patients aged 65 or older with neurocognitive disorder was recorded while performing two short narrative speech tasks. NPS were assessed by the neuropsychiatric inventory. Paralinguistic markers relating to prosodic, formant, source, and temporal qualities of speech were automatically extracted, correlated with NPS. Machine learning experiments were carried out to validate the diagnostic power of extracted markers. RESULTS Different speech variables are associated with specific NPS; apathy correlates with temporal aspects, and anxiety with voice quality-and this was mostly consistent between male and female after correction for cognitive impairment. Machine learning regressors are able to extract information from speech features and perform above baseline in predicting anxiety, apathy, and depression scores. CONCLUSIONS Different NPS seem to be characterized by distinct speech features, which are easily extractable automatically from short vocal tasks. These findings support the use of speech analysis for detecting subtypes of NPS in patients with cognitive impairment. This could have great implications for the design of future clinical trials as this cost-effective method could allow more continuous and even remote monitoring of symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra König
- Stars Team, Sophia Antipolis, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA), Valbonne, France.,Clinical Research, ki:elements, Saarbrücken, Germany.,CoBTeK (Cognition-Behaviour-Technology) Lab, FRIS-University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Elisa Mallick
- Stars Team, Sophia Antipolis, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA), Valbonne, France.,Clinical Research, ki:elements, Saarbrücken, Germany.,CoBTeK (Cognition-Behaviour-Technology) Lab, FRIS-University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Johannes Tröger
- Stars Team, Sophia Antipolis, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA), Valbonne, France.,Clinical Research, ki:elements, Saarbrücken, Germany.,CoBTeK (Cognition-Behaviour-Technology) Lab, FRIS-University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Nicklas Linz
- Stars Team, Sophia Antipolis, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA), Valbonne, France.,Clinical Research, ki:elements, Saarbrücken, Germany.,CoBTeK (Cognition-Behaviour-Technology) Lab, FRIS-University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Radia Zeghari
- Stars Team, Sophia Antipolis, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA), Valbonne, France.,Clinical Research, ki:elements, Saarbrücken, Germany.,CoBTeK (Cognition-Behaviour-Technology) Lab, FRIS-University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Valeria Manera
- Stars Team, Sophia Antipolis, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA), Valbonne, France.,Clinical Research, ki:elements, Saarbrücken, Germany.,CoBTeK (Cognition-Behaviour-Technology) Lab, FRIS-University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Philippe Robert
- Stars Team, Sophia Antipolis, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA), Valbonne, France.,Clinical Research, ki:elements, Saarbrücken, Germany.,CoBTeK (Cognition-Behaviour-Technology) Lab, FRIS-University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
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Nonverbal cues of anxiety in English class presentation: From self- and other-perspectives. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02046-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Social dominance and multiple dimensions of psychopathology: An experimental test of reactivity to leadership and subordinate roles. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250099. [PMID: 33909641 PMCID: PMC8081185 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Theory and research suggest that social dominance is important for multiple forms of psychopathology, and yet few studies have considered multiple dimensions of psychopathology simultaneously, and relatively few have used well-validated behavioral indices. Method Among 81 undergraduates, we used a well-validated experimental approach of assigning participants to a leadership or subordinate position, and we examined how self-rated severity of depression, social anxiety, manic tendencies, and psychopathy relate to psychophysiological and affective reactivity to this role. Results Consistent with hypotheses, manic symptoms related to more discomfort in the subordinate role compared to the leadership role, as evidenced by more decline in positive affect, more discomfort, and a larger RSA decline, while depression symptoms related to a more positive response to the subordinate role than the leadership role, including more positive affect and more comfort in the assigned role. Social anxiety was related to discomfort regardless of the assigned role, and those with higher psychopathy symptoms did not show differential response to assigned roles. Limitations Findings are limited by the mild symptom levels and absence of hormonal data. Conclusions Findings provide novel transdiagnostic evidence for the importance of social dominance to differentiate diverse forms of psychopathology.
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Low DM, Bentley KH, Ghosh SS. Automated assessment of psychiatric disorders using speech: A systematic review. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol 2020; 5:96-116. [PMID: 32128436 PMCID: PMC7042657 DOI: 10.1002/lio2.354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There are many barriers to accessing mental health assessments including cost and stigma. Even when individuals receive professional care, assessments are intermittent and may be limited partly due to the episodic nature of psychiatric symptoms. Therefore, machine-learning technology using speech samples obtained in the clinic or remotely could one day be a biomarker to improve diagnosis and treatment. To date, reviews have only focused on using acoustic features from speech to detect depression and schizophrenia. Here, we present the first systematic review of studies using speech for automated assessments across a broader range of psychiatric disorders. METHODS We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We included studies from the last 10 years using speech to identify the presence or severity of disorders within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). For each study, we describe sample size, clinical evaluation method, speech-eliciting tasks, machine learning methodology, performance, and other relevant findings. RESULTS 1395 studies were screened of which 127 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were on depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, and the remaining on post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders. 63% of studies built machine learning predictive models, and the remaining 37% performed null-hypothesis testing only. We provide an online database with our search results and synthesize how acoustic features appear in each disorder. CONCLUSION Speech processing technology could aid mental health assessments, but there are many obstacles to overcome, especially the need for comprehensive transdiagnostic and longitudinal studies. Given the diverse types of data sets, feature extraction, computational methodologies, and evaluation criteria, we provide guidelines for both acquiring data and building machine learning models with a focus on testing hypotheses, open science, reproducibility, and generalizability. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3a.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M. Low
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts
- Department of Brain and Cognitive SciencesMITCambridgeMassachusetts
| | - Kate H. Bentley
- Department of PsychiatryMassachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MITCambridgeMassachusetts
| | - Satrajit S. Ghosh
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MITCambridgeMassachusetts
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgeryHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts
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Peschard V, Ben-Moshe S, Keshet H, Restle H, Dollberg D, Gilboa-Schechtman E. Social anxiety and sensitivity to social-rank features in male faces. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2019; 63:79-84. [PMID: 30446163 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2017] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Evolutionary theories propose that socially anxious individuals are especially sensitive to social-rank signals, presumably at the expense of the attunement to signals of affiliation. Despite this theoretical claim, few empirical attempts examined the association between social anxiety (SA) and sensitivity to specific features of social-rank and affiliation. This study aims to fill this gap. METHOD Participants (N = 67) completed two tasks in which two emotionally neutral computer-generated male faces of the same character were presented side-by-side. In the Social-Rank-Sensitivity Task, the faces within each pair differed in their level of dominance and, in the Affiliation-Sensitivity Task, the faces differed in their level of trustworthiness. The participants' task was to decide which of the two faces looked more dominant or friendly. RESULTS There were no differences in accuracy between high- and low-SA participants in the Affiliation-Sensitivity Task. In contrast, high-SA participants were more accurate than low-SA participants in the Social-Rank-Sensitivity Task. No group differences were found in decision latencies in either task. LIMITATIONS Limitations of the study are that a non-clinical sample was used and that only computer-generated male faces were considered. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that SA is related to an enhanced ability to discriminate faces based on social-rank features. Examining sensitivity to facial cues signaling social-rank and affiliation may help to specify the nature of social threat sensitivity in SA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hadar Keshet
- Psychology Department, Bar Ilan University, Israel
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10
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Weeks JW, Howell AN, Srivastav A, Goldin PR. "Fear guides the eyes of the beholder": Assessing gaze avoidance in social anxiety disorder via covert eye tracking of dynamic social stimuli. J Anxiety Disord 2019; 65:56-63. [PMID: 31170596 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Gaze avoidance is an important feature of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and may serve as a biobehavioral marker of SAD. The purpose of the present study was to replicate and extend findings on gaze avoidance in SAD via eye tracking during a computerized social simulation. Patients with SAD (n = 27) and a (sub)sample of demographically-matched healthy controls (HC; n = 22) completed a computerized, dynamic social simulation task involving video clips of actors giving positive and negative social feedback to the participant. All participants were unknowingly eye tracked during the simulation, and post-study consent was obtained to examine responses. Consistent with the bivalent fear of evaluation (BFOE) model of social anxiety, fear of positive evaluation related systematically to state anxiety in response to positive social feedback, and fear of negative evaluation related systematically to state anxiety in response to negative social feedback. Moreover, compared to HCs, SAD patients exhibited significantly greater global gaze avoidance in response to both the positive and negative video clips. Our results provide strong additional support for gaze avoidance as a biobehavioral marker of SAD, as well as additional support for the BFOE model. Implications for the assessment and treatment of SAD are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin W Weeks
- Center for Evaluation and Treatment of Anxiety, Department of Psychology, Porter Hall 200, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, United States.
| | - Ashley N Howell
- Center for Evaluation and Treatment of Anxiety, Department of Psychology, Porter Hall 200, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, United States
| | - Akanksha Srivastav
- Center for Evaluation and Treatment of Anxiety, Department of Psychology, Porter Hall 200, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, United States
| | - Philippe R Goldin
- Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, United States
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Weeks JW, Srivastav A, Howell AN, Menatti AR. “Speaking More than Words”: Classifying Men with Social Anxiety Disorder via Vocal Acoustic Analyses of Diagnostic Interviews. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-015-9495-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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12
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Gilboa-Schechtman E, Friedman L, Helpman L, Kananov J. Self-Evaluations of Social Rank and Affiliation in Social Anxiety: Explicit and Implicit Measures. Int J Cogn Ther 2013. [DOI: 10.1521/ijct.2013.6.3.208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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