Logo image
The effect of facial blood flow on ratings of blushing and negative affect during an embarrassing task: Preliminary findings
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The effect of facial blood flow on ratings of blushing and negative affect during an embarrassing task: Preliminary findings

P.D. Drummond and D. Lazaroo
Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Vol.26(2), pp.305-310
2012
pdf
Drummond_and_Lazaroo_2011.pdfDownloadView
Author’s Version Open Access
url
Link to Published Version *Subscription may be requiredView

Abstract

Expecting to blush is a common source of social anxiety, and is associated with heightened perceptions of blushing and embarrassment. To assess whether sensory cues associated with heightened facial blood flow are an additional source of anxiety, the vasodilator niacin (100. mg) or placebo was administered double-blind to 33 participants, and facial blood flow was investigated when they sang a children's song. Vasodilatation during singing was greater in the niacin than placebo condition, and niacin-evoked flushing and increases in pulse rate were greater in participants with high than low fear of negative evaluation. Nevertheless, ratings of embarrassment, anxiety, blushing and facial heat were similar in both drug conditions. This dissociation implies that cognitive appraisals or negative affect overrode more subtle physiological cues of blushing during embarrassment. Clarifying how judgments about blushing are made could be crucial for correcting faulty assumptions about blushing in people who are frightened of this response.

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: InCites

Metrics

458 File views/ downloads
82 Record Views

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Citation topics
1 Clinical & Life Sciences
1.21 Psychiatry
1.21.1949 Social Anxiety
Web Of Science research areas
Psychiatry
Psychology, Clinical
ESI research areas
Psychiatry/Psychology
Logo image