Abstract
Numerous theorists have developed models to explain the development and maintenance of social phobia. Beck and Emery developed a cognitive model of anxiety and phobias.
The schema, the basic cognitive structure that guides the processing of information, serves as the core concept in their cognitive model. Schemas are sets of ,rules, that classify, prioritize, and interpret incoming information to the person as well as facilitate the retrieval of relevant information from memory.
That is the social phobics misinterpreted negatively neutral or mildly positive cues, while positive or safety cues are discounted or ignored. Social phobics are hypervigilant to cues that denote the possibility of negative evaluation by others.
These cues may be situational, interpersonal or internal. The goal of CBT is to modify social phobics schemas to be more similar to those of nonanxious people.
In practice, this involves repeatedly challenging logical errors in thinking with evidence supporting more rational interpretations. The evidence used in these challenges comes from direct verbal challenges during cognitive restructuring, from role played exposure and homework exposure assignments