An approach-avoidance model of social withdrawal (Asendorpf, 1990) identifies 3 types of social withdrawal including shyness, unsociability, and avoidance. Each appears to be uniquely associated with varying indicators of maladjustment in emerging adulthood (Nelson, 2013) but little, if any, work has been done to see how they might be linked to media use in the third decade of life. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine longitudinally the links between subtypes of social withdrawal, connective media (e.g., e-mail, social networking) and problematic (forms of media such as violent video games that, when used in high amounts, have been found to be linked to indices of maladjustment) media use, and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. The participants in the study (Mage = 20.70, SD = 1.98, range = 18-29 at Time 2) consisted of 204 undergraduate students (58% female) recruited from 2 large public universities in the United States who completed questionnaires at 2 points of time separated by 1 year. Results revealed that avoidant individuals use problematic forms of media more than average, unsociable, and shy individuals. Furthermore, problematic media use predicted more withdrawn behavior at Time 2 and mediated the relation between avoidance and externalizing behaviors over time. Few problems were found for unsociable behavior. The need to differentiate between multiple forms of withdrawal in emerging adulthood and their links with problematic forms of media and subsequent risk factors is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

There is growing evidence that motivations reflecting social withdrawal are linked to various correlates and outcomes in childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. However, little work has examined the subtypes of withdrawn motivations in early adulthood. Hence, the purpose of this study was to compare shy, avoidant, unsocial, mixed‐withdrawn, and non‐withdrawn men and women in early adulthood on indices of well‐being. This study drew on a large, representative U.S. sample of 5,000 participants (2,930 female) ages 30–35 (Mage = 32.50, SD = 1.70). Findings reveal that shy, avoidant, and mixed‐withdrawal individuals experience more negative outcomes (e.g., receiving less education) and lower well‐being (e.g., lower life satisfaction, more internalizing problems, and regret) in early adulthood.

Relative to other motivations of social withdrawal (i.e., shyness, unsociability), social avoidance is understudied. Furthermore, the relation between social avoidance and externalizing problems seldom has been investigated despite reasons to expect an association. We examined the association between social avoidance and externalizing problems using a sample of early adolescents in the United States using parents' reports (N = 294; 54.1% boys; M age = 12.43 years). Supporting our hypotheses, structural equation models indicated that social avoidance positively predicted concurrent externalizing problems, controlling for shyness, unsociability, and internalizing problems (including depression and anxiety). Findings highlight that socially avoidant adolescents' behaviors may include avoiding others as well as acting out. Longitudinal work is needed to examine the potential bidirectional relations between social avoidance and externalizing problems.

We investigated how 5th–8th graders’ self- and peer-identified withdrawal motivations predicted peer-reported peer relationships and aggression. Participants ( N = 221; 47% male) provided self-reports and peer-nomination data (we analyzed 339 students’ nominations). We hypothesized shyness, unsociability, and avoidance would predict low peer liking and high exclusion; shyness and avoidance would predict high victimization and peer disliking; and avoidance would predict high aggression. Support was mixed. Results varied by withdrawal motivation reporter. Self-identified shy and avoidant individuals had low peer liking. Self-identified shy individuals had low disliking and low victimization. Peer-identified shy individuals had low disliking, high exclusion, and low aggression. Peer-identified unsociable individuals had low liking and high exclusion. Peer-identified avoidant individuals had low liking, high disliking, high exclusion, high victimization, and high aggression. Results suggest that peer-identified avoidant individuals have a concerning profile of peer relationships and aggression. Longitudinal work is needed to understand the developmental sequelae of avoidance.

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