L'affirmation de soi revisitée pour diminuer l'anxiété sociale

Non-assertive behaviour is often observed in social phobia. Consequently, cognitive and behavioural therapies for social phobia consist largely of social skills training and assertive training, mostly using role-playing. The aim of this paper is to study the effects of a new role-playing intervention technique on self-confidence and social anxiety. The intervention consisted in playing two caricatured and opposite roles. The first one was a submissive role, and the second was a dominant role. Thirty-eight participants completed the Liebowitz social anxiety scale (LSAS ; Liebowitz, 1987) and the Rathus assertiveness schedule (RAS ; Rathus, 1973). Our results showed a lesser social anxiety level after a one-week period of daily role-playing. Assertiveness level however remained the same, probably due to psychometrical limitations of the tool. Hence, subsequent studies will analyse the long-term effects of our role-playing technique, with a larger population and using present and new measurement tools.