A diary study of feedback seeking behaviours in individuals with social anxiety disorder compared to individuals with generalized anxiety disorder of no history of mental health difficulties

The current study examined various features of positive feedback seeking (PFS) and negative feedback seeking (NFS) in individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD), individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and healthy individuals using a 2-week daily diary method. There were no significant differences between individuals with SAD and healthy individuals in the frequency of feedback seeking. However, individuals with GAD engaged in significantly more overall feedback seeking (adjusted for compliance) than healthy individuals. The most common source of feedback seeking within each group was other people (e.g., romantic partner). Individuals with SAD experienced significantly greater reductions in anxiety, sadness, and anger than healthy individuals and a significantly greater increase in certainty than individuals with GAD following positive feedback during PFS. There were no significant group differences in the topics, triggers, functions, or termination criteria of feedback seeking. Future research directions and theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.