The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
116UÊIt is unacceptable if my boss makes any negative comments or suggests even 
one area for improvement during my annual performance review.
UÊShowing any signs of anxiety is almost as bad as falling completely apart.
In the space below, list examples of the times when you engaged in all-or-nothing 
thinking:
Selective Attention and Memory
Selective attention is the tendency to pay more attention to certain types of information 
than to other types. Selective memory is the tendency to remember certain types of informa -
tion more easily than other types. As discussed earlier, people are more likely to attend 
to and remember information that is consistent with their beliefs. Therefore, people with 
social anxiety are more likely than others to remember times when they were criticized 
or teased by another person or when they performed poorly in a social situation. When 
performing in social situations or interacting with others, individuals with social phobia 
are more likely to notice people who appear to be bored or disapproving. Some other 
examples of selective memory and attention are provided below:
Examples of Selective Attention and Memory
UÊIgnoring positive feedback from a teacher or boss (in other words, discount -
ing positive feedback as if it doesn’t matter), yet taking negative feedback 
very seriously (for example, letting negative feedback ruin your day)
UÊFocusing on the one low grade on your report card and ignoring all the 
high grades
UÊRemembering being teased in high school, while forgetting about the good 
times spent with friends after school
UÊFocusing on audience members who seem bored during your presentation 
and ignoring those in the crowd who appear to be enjoying your talk
UÊFocusing on the moment during a conversation when you stumbled over