Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety Disorders

The Cognitive Model of Anxiety 43

Personal strivings or goals of a social nature (sociotropy) within the public sphere
focus on our relationships within larger social settings (e.g., an audience, being in class
or at work, attending a party) that provide a sense of belonging, acceptance, approval,
and affirmation, whereas the same social strivings in the private sector refer to our more
intimate dyadic social relations (e.g., life partners, children, parents) that provide nur-
turance, love, empathy, and understanding. Individual personal goals within the private
sphere are concerned with achieving self- sufficiency, mastery, independence, and com-
petence, whereas individuality (autonomy) within the public realm deals with competi-
tion and comparison where other people become instruments to achieve personal goals
and standards. Sociotropy and autonomy are understood from the perspective of the
individual, so it is the perception of acceptance, approval, independence, or competence
that is important, not some “objective” standard of whether or not a person has met his
or her goals. Also individuals will differ in the value or importance of certain strivings
for their own self-worth (for further discussion of sociotropy and autonomy, see Beck,
1983; D. A. Clark et al., 1999).
It is clear how a situation could be perceived as highly threatening if it is thought
not only to interfere or prevent the satisfaction of valued personal strivings but, even
much worse, result in a personally painful negative state of affairs (e.g., isolation, rejec-
tion, defeat, even death). For example, individuals concerned with the approval of oth-
ers might feel particularly anxious if they perceive social cues of possible disapproval or
criticism in a particular social setting. On the other hand, individuals who highly value
good health and optimum functioning of their mind and body (autonomous strivings in
the private sphere) could perceive any indication of possible disease or death a serious
threat to their own survival. Any of the perceived threats common to the anxiety disor-
ders, like loss of control or death in panic disorder and negative evaluation of others in
social phobia, can be understood in terms of threat to one’s vital interests in the public
or private spheres of sociality and autonomy.

Clinician Guideline 2.10

Determining each individual’s vital interests in the social and autonomous domains is

important for understanding development of the exaggerated personal threat evaluations

that underlie the anxiety condition.

table 2.3. Classification of threats to personal Concerns

Domain Sociotropy Autonomy

Public concerns Disapproval

Disregard

Separation

Isolation

Defeat

Defection

Depreciation

Thwarting

Private concerns Abandonment

Deprivation

Disapproval

Rejection

Disability

Malfunction

Illness

Death

Note. Based on Beck, Emery, and Greenberg (1985).