Why social anxiety often gets worse during the teen years
A developmentally-sensitive mechanism underlying the escalation of adolescent social anxiety
This project looks at whether growing fear of being judged and extra attention to mistakes around peers explain worsening social anxiety in early-to-mid adolescents (about 12–16 years).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida International University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Miami, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11122357 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked to complete tasks that measure how much you fear being judged and how closely you watch for mistakes when around peers. Researchers will record noninvasive brain activity, focusing on frontal 'theta' rhythms, while teens do these tasks and interact with peers. The team will follow adolescents across early-to-mid adolescence to see how changes in these feelings and brain patterns relate to worsening social anxiety. The goal is to find a developmental feedback loop that might point to better-timed or targeted treatments for teens.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adolescents in early-to-mid adolescence (roughly ages 12–16) who are experiencing increasing social fears or symptoms of social anxiety would be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Adults, much younger children, people without social-fear symptoms, or those with severe unrelated medical/psychiatric conditions would likely not benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to brain-based targets and better timing for treatments tailored to adolescents with social anxiety.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies link frontal theta rhythms to adolescent cognitive control, but applying this specific mechanistic model to escalations in teen social anxiety is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Miami, United States
- Florida International University — Miami, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Buzzell, George Arthur — Florida International University
- Study coordinator: Buzzell, George Arthur
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.