Social Anxiety Linked to Stronger Brain Responses to Mixed Social Cues

Young adults with higher social anxiety show stronger brain responses when others’ gaze conflicts with their apparent thoughts or feelings, but they were no better at explicitly judging what someone’s gaze meant. They were neither more accurate nor faster than participants with lower social anxiety

Social anxiety boosts brain sensitivity to other people looking at you

New research offers a new perspective on social anxiety, which is often viewed mainly as a source of distress.

Social anxiety linked to stronger brain responses to mixed social cues

Ever catch someone looking your way and wonder what they're thinking? For people with social anxiety, that moment may trigger a heightened response in the brain, even though it does not improve their later judgments about what the gaze means.