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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NCInternational Journal of Body, Mind and Culture

Attention Bias to Threat as a Mediator Between Childhood Behavioral Inhibition and Social Anxiety: A Structural Model

  • Seyed Ali Ghaemmaghami1
  • Ali Moazzeni Rizi2
  • Mahdi Mirpourian3
  1. 1M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Science and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
  2. 2MSc. in Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
  3. 3MSc. in Health psychology, Faculaty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Abstract

Objective: This study examined whether attention bias to threat statistically accounts for part of the association between retrospectively reported childhood behavioral inhibition and current social anxiety symptoms in adults.

Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional correlational study included 250 adults aged 20–45 years recruited in the Isfahan University context, Iran, by convenience sampling. Participants completed the Retrospective Measure of Behavioral Inhibition and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale and performed a computerized dot-probe task. Structural modeling was conducted in SPSS 26 and AMOS 24. Indirect effects were evaluated with 5,000 bootstrap resamples.

Findings: Behavioral inhibition was positively associated with attention bias (β= .32, p<.001) and social anxiety (β= .39, p< .001), while attention bias was associated with social anxiety (β= .43, p< .001). The reported indirect effect was .14 (95% CI [.08, .22], p < .001). Model-fit indices were RMSEA = .05, CFI = .94, GFI = .92, and χ²/df = 2.18.

Conclusion: The results are consistent with a cognitive–temperamental account in which threat-related attention may statistically link childhood inhibition with adult social anxiety. Because the design is cross-sectional and childhood inhibition was assessed retrospectively, the indirect effect should not be interpreted as evidence of temporal or causal mediation. Replication with longitudinal designs and more reliable attention-bias measures is warranted.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{ghaemmaghami2026attention,
  title = {{Attention Bias to Threat as a Mediator Between Childhood Behavioral Inhibition and Social Anxiety: A Structural Model}},
  author = {Seyed Ali Ghaemmaghami and Ali Moazzeni Rizi and Mahdi Mirpourian},
  journal = {International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.61838/ijbmc.v13i11.1092},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v13i11.1092},
  note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Attention Bias to Threat as a Mediator Between Childhood Behavioral Inhibition and Social Anxiety: A Structural Model
AU  - Seyed Ali Ghaemmaghami
AU  - Ali Moazzeni Rizi
AU  - Mahdi Mirpourian
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/01
JO  - International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture
DO  - 10.61838/ijbmc.v13i11.1092
UR  - https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v13i11.1092
AB  - Objective: This study examined whether attention bias to threat statistically accounts for part of the association between retrospectively reported childhood behavioral inhibition and current social anxiety symptoms in adults.  Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional correlational study included 250 adults aged 20–45 years recruited in the Isfahan University context, Iran, by convenience sampling. Participants completed the Retrospective Measure of Behavioral Inhibition and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale and performed a computerized dot-probe task. Structural modeling was conducted in SPSS 26 and AMOS 24. Indirect effects were evaluated with 5,000 bootstrap resamples.  Findings: Behavioral inhibition was positively associated with attention bias (β= .32, p<.001) and social anxiety (β= .39, p< .001), while attention bias was associated with social anxiety (β= .43, p< .001). The reported indirect effect was .14 (95% CI [.08, .22], p < .001). Model-fit indices were RMSEA = .05, CFI = .94, GFI = .92, and χ²/df = 2.18.  Conclusion: The results are consistent with a cognitive–temperamental account in which threat-related attention may statistically link childhood inhibition with adult social anxiety. Because the design is cross-sectional and childhood inhibition was assessed retrospectively, the indirect effect should not be interpreted as evidence of temporal or causal mediation. Replication with longitudinal designs and more reliable attention-bias measures is warranted.
SN  - 2345-5802
ER  -