The mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the fear of being negatively evaluated and the level of social anxiety, besides to examine the cognitive emotion regulation strategies (self-blame, acceptance, thought focusing, positive refocusing, plan refocusing, positive review, putting it in perspective, destruction and accusing others) is to investigate the mediator role. The sample of the study is consisting 616 people, 549 females and 67 males, aged 18-45 who lives in the city of Istanbul included districts and villages. "Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Scale, Socio-Demographic Information Form and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale" were used in the study. As a result of the research, it was determined that there was a significant relationship between the participants fear of negative evaluation, their social anxiety levels and cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Therewithal, it is determined that self-blame, thought focus, positive refocusing, plan refocusing, positive review and destruction strategies has a partial mediating roles in the effect of fear of negative evaluation on social anxiety level.