Artist's Statement
Linda Uzoma
The main question that I aim to answer is, “What is social Anxiety”. I’m also aiming to present some myths about social anxiety and coping strategies for people who experience social anxiety
History and Distinction
Anxiety 101 by Moshe Zeidner and Gerald Matthews
This book describes the different types of anxieties there are, the difference between normal and clinical anxiety, coping strategies for anxiety, etc. I will be focusing on social anxiety, and I will also be listing coping strategies and talk about whether clinical intervention works or not
Self-compassion as mediator between coping and social anxiety in late adolescence: A longitudinal analysis by Catrinel A. Stefan
Stefan introduces her paper with a brief explanation of social anxiety, and the causation of it. She then proceeds to briefly describe some coping strategies that people with social anxiety have adopted, both the positive and negative coping strategies. I will be using information from the introduction to build upon my list of coping strategies, and I may also include her findings on the link between self-compassion, coping strategies, and social anxiety.
Approach
I conducted a survey among UMD students to determine what social situation gives them the most anxiety. The survey, which was an online Google form, was sent out in class/club group chats. I had participants pick a scenario and explain what physically happens in that scenario and what thoughts are going through their mind. I obtained 33 responses to the survey.
I also did a literature review of some articles on social anxiety and coping strategies
Audience
My audience includes people who may or may not have social anxiety. I picked this audience mainly because of personal reasons(fear of talking to other people, ask for help, presenting in front of people, etc.) and to educate people about social anxiety. I will be reaching my audience through my digital display which will be put up on the ArtFest Digital exhibition
Impact
What I hope my audience will learn is what social anxiety is and how that is different from social anxiety disorder(the clinical anxiety that everyone seems to know). I hoping that the coping strategies I have listed may help someone who needs it
As for personal goals, I’m hoping to better understand what form my social anxiety comes in and to learn some coping strategies that I can use to deal with it
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Heather for being my advisor and for helping me to create the survey for my capstone. I would also like to thank the students at UMD for taking the time to respond to my survey.
References
“21 Of The Best Social Anxiety Quotes To Motivate You.” Practical Anxiety Solutions, 4 Sept. 2018, www.practicalanxietysolutions.com/social-anxiety-quotes/.
Admin. “Cat Symbolism: What Cats Represent In The Spiritual World.” Spiritual Unite, 13 July 2019, www.spiritualunite.com/articles/cat-symbolism/.
Draghici, Alexander. “10 Misconceptions About Social Anxiety.” 10 Misconceptions About Social Anxiety, 4 Dec. 2015, explorable.com/e/10-misconceptions-about-social-anxiety.
“The ELEPHANT SPIRIT ANIMAL Ultimate Guide (Meanings & Symbolism).” The Secret Of The Tarot, 26 Feb. 2019, thesecretofthetarot.com/elephant-spirit-animal/.
Zeidner, Moshe, and Gerald Matthews. Anxiety 101. Springer Publishing Company, 2011.
Ștefan, Catrinel A. “Self-Compassion as Mediator between Coping and Social Anxiety in Late Adolescence: A Longitudinal Analysis.” Journal of Adolescence, vol. 76, 2019, pp. 120–128., doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2019.08.013.