Study Reveals Fixed Mindsets May Alleviate Social Anxiety

A recent study conducted by researchers at Bar-Ilan University suggests that individuals with social anxiety may experience improved social interactions when they adopt a belief that others’ opinions of them are fixed rather than changeable. This research indicates that embracing a “fixed mindset” can help reduce the stress associated with social engagements, allowing for better performance and more positive experiences.

The findings, published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin in 2025, stem from a multi-phase investigation led by Prof. Liad Uziel from the university’s Department of Psychology. Social anxiety, characterized by fear or discomfort in social situations, affects a significant number of individuals. The study reveals that viewing others’ impressions as stable can make social environments feel less daunting and more manageable.

In the initial phase of the research, participants with heightened social anxiety reported feeling less burdened during social interactions when they believed that impressions were fixed. This led to a series of experiments designed to further explore this phenomenon.

The first experiment tasked participants with preparing self-introductions for an upcoming meeting. Those with high social anxiety performed poorly when they adopted a “growth mindset,” believing that impressions could change. Conversely, when they operated under the assumption that impressions were fixed, their performance improved significantly.

A second experiment introduced a more demanding scenario involving video-based tasks. Here, participants with higher levels of social anxiety again demonstrated better performance when they adopted a fixed mindset. The final phase of the study was a three-day field experiment, where participants encouraged to maintain a fixed mindset reported more satisfying and less stressful social experiences compared to those who were led to believe that impressions were mutable.

These results highlight that for individuals grappling with social anxiety, a sense of predictability may foster calmness and confidence. As Prof. Uziel notes, “For those who often worry about how they are perceived, believing that others’ impressions are stable can be both calming and empowering.”

The implications of this research are significant. The study suggests simple mindset shifts could serve as low-cost interventions for those struggling with social anxiety, making social interactions less taxing and more rewarding. Moving forward, Prof. Uziel and his team plan to examine these effects in clinically diagnosed populations and investigate how such mindsets influence various aspects of social behavior.

This line of inquiry opens up promising avenues for helping individuals manage social anxiety more effectively. By focusing on the stability of others’ perceptions, individuals may find greater ease in connecting with those around them, ultimately enhancing their everyday social experiences.