The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
8as interpersonal situations ) or situations in which you are the focus of attention or might be 
noticed by others (these are often called performance situations ). Examples of interpersonal 
situations and performance situations that may be feared by people with high levels of 
social anxiety include:
Interpersonal Situations
UÊAsking someone out on a date
UÊTalking to someone in authority
UÊInitiating or maintaining a conversation
UÊGoing to a party
UÊHaving friends over for dinner
UÊMeeting new people
UÊTalking on the telephone
UÊExpressing a personal opinion
UÊHaving a job interview
UÊBeing assertive (for example, saying no when you don’t want to do 
something)
UÊReturning an item to a store 
UÊSending back food in a restaurant
UÊMaking eye contact
Performance Situations
UÊPublic speaking
UÊSpeaking in meetings
UÊPlaying sports or participating in aerobics
UÊPerforming a piano recital in front of others
UÊHaving others watch you work
UÊLeaving a recorded message on somebody’s voice mail
UÊGetting married