Investigation of automatic thoughts of individual with performance anxiety between the ages of 18-35 compared to individuals without performance anxiety

This research aims to examine the automatic thought differences between individuals aged 18-35 with and without performance anxiety. Performance anxiety is a common type of anxiety that can negatively impact individuals' social and professional lives, and automatic thoughts, which are among the cognitive processes that trigger this anxiety, play an important role. The study aims to provide significant data regarding the cognitive processes of individuals with performance anxiety by investigating whether these individuals are more prone to negative automatic thoughts. The study has been conducted using a descriptive and comparative method. Data has been collected from 200 participants selected from the population of individuals aged 18- 35 living across Turkey, determined using G-power. Participants have been grouped according to their scores on the Beck Anxiety Scale. The data collection process has been carried out online through Google Forms, and participants were administered the Beck Anxiety Scale to measure performance anxiety, the Liebowitz Social Phobia Scale, and the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire to assess automatic thoughts. The hypothesis of the study is that individuals with performance anxiety have more negative automatic thoughts compared to those without. The collected data has been analyzed using the SPSS program, and differences between groups have been evaluated using independent samples t-test. Additionally, correlation analyses have been conducted to explore the relationships between automatic thoughts and performance anxiety. The significance level for the data has been set at p < 0.05. The results of this research provide significant findings that contribute to the development of cognitive behavioral therapies for anxiety management by revealing the relationship between performance anxiety and cognitive processes. Additionally, the study aims to contribute to the literature in understanding the effects of performance anxiety in young adult individuals.