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Shyness and public self-consciousness: additive or interactive relation with social interaction?
M A Bruch1, R J Hamer, R G Heimberg
1Department of Counseling Psychology, State University of New York, Albany 12222, USA.
Journal of Personality
|March 1, 1995
Summary
Shyness, not public self-consciousness, predicts negative social interactions and self-perception. These traits independently impact social functioning, with shyness strongly linked to self-criticism and avoidance.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Shyness involves self-criticism and inhibition, while public self-consciousness focuses on external impressions.
- Public self-consciousness is often considered a precursor to shyness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether shyness and public self-consciousness interact or additively influence dysfunctional social interactions.
- To differentiate the specific impacts of shyness versus public self-consciousness on social behavior.
Main Methods:
- Undergraduate men with varying levels of shyness and public self-consciousness participated.
- Participants engaged in a conversation with a female confederate.
- Self-report measures assessed participants' responses during the social interaction.
Main Results:
- The study supported an additive hypothesis, finding main effects for both shyness and public self-consciousness.
- Shyness was consistently associated with negative self-bias, including thought content and self-presentation strategies.
- Public self-consciousness was linked to protective self-presentation but not acquisitive self-presentation or negative self-bias.
Conclusions:
- Shyness and public self-consciousness appear to influence social interaction through independent pathways.
- Shyness is a significant predictor of negative self-perceptions and avoidance in social contexts.
- Public self-consciousness affects self-presentation but does not necessarily lead to the same negative outcomes as shyness.