Approach-avoidance conflict and shyness: A developmental investigation.

Abstract

One long-standing theoretical model of shyness proposes that the origins and maintenance of shyness are associated with an approach-avoidance motivational conflict (Asendorpf, 1990), such that shy individuals are motivated to socially engage (high approach motivation) but are too anxious to do so (high avoidance motivation). However, this model has not been empirically tested in predicting the development of shyness. In two separate longitudinal studies, we used the Carver and White (1994) Behavioral Inhibition and Activation System (BIS/BAS) scales as a proxy of approach-avoidance motivations and growth curve analyses to examine whether individual differences in these hypothesized motivational tendencies were associated with the development of shyness across 3 years from late childhood to adolescence (Study 1, N = 1284; 49.8% female, Mage = 10.72, SDage = 1.73, M level of parental education fell between associate’s degree/diploma and undergraduate degree) and across nearly a decade from emerging adulthood to young adulthood (Study 2, N = 83; 57.8% females, Mage = 23.56 years, SDage = 1.09 years, 92.8% had at least a high school education). Contrary to the approach-avoidance conflict model of shyness, we found that a combination of high BIS/low BAS, not high BIS/high BAS, was associated with relatively higher shyness contemporaneously and across development in both studies. We discuss the processes that might link individual differences in approach-avoidance motivations to the development of shyness in adolescence and young adulthood.

The development of shyness from late childhood to adolescence: A longitudinal study of Mexican-origin youth

“…Contrary to Hypothesis 1, we found that, on average, shyness decreased from age 10 to 16; although we did find the predicted individual differences in shyness trajectories. The observed decrease in shyness is not consistent with research and theory on adolescence that highlights increases in self-consciousness and heightened sensitivity to peer evaluation, both of which seem likely to increase shyness (Cheek et al, 1986;Hassan et al, 2021). However, our findings are consistent with a few previous studies that have found mean-level decreases in shyness across adolescence (Barzeva et al, 2019;Laceulle et al, 2012;Zohar et al, 2019).…”

“…We found moderate to high rank-order stability of shyness from age 10 to 16, which is comparable to past longitudinal research examining rank-order stabilities in self-reported (Hassan et al, 2021;Zohar et al, 2019) and mother-reported shyness (Brandes et al, 2020;Karevold et al, 2012;Laceulle et al, 2012). For all time intervals, child self-reports were less stable than mother-reports.…”

“…Previous studies examining the rank-order stability of shyness have found moderateto-high levels of stability across adolescence (test-retest correlations of .56-.67 over 4-5 years) when shyness was assessed using parent-reports (Brandes et al, 2020;Karevold et al, 2012;Laceulle et al, 2012). Youth self-reported shyness tends to show lower, but still moderate, rankorder stability, such as one-year test-retest correlations of .58-.62 and a two-year correlation of .52 from age 10 to 12 (Hassan et al, 2021). Overall, shyness tends to show moderately high rank-order stability during the adolescent years, with higher stabilities observed for parent-(vs. self-) reports.…”

“…These inconsistencies may be due, in part, to differences in assessment methods, specifically the use of self-reports (e.g., Zohar et al, 2019) versus parent-reports (Brandes et al, 2020;Laceulle et al, 2012). Although empirical evidence is mixed, some theoretical considerations suggest that shyness should increase during the adolescent years, given normative increases in self-consciousness and social anxiety disorder, sensitivity to social rejection, and the importance of peer and romantic relationships (Andrews et al, 2021;Cheek et al, 1986;Hassan et al, 2021;Poole et al, 2020;Tang et al, 2017;Wright et al, 2020), as well as the many puberty-related hormonal and socioemotional changes that might heighten distress in social interactions.…”

Development of shyness across adolescence: Reactivity, regulation, or both?

“…There are several different theoretical perspectives on the origins and maintenance of shyness. One hypothesis is that shyness arises from an approach-avoidance motivational conflict (Asendorpf, 1990; Coplan et al, 2004; Schmidt & Buss, 2010; although see Hassan et al, 2021). Another hypothesis is that temperamental aspects of shyness (e.g., behavioral inhibition) may be linked to individual differences in the excitability of the central nucleus of the amygdala (e.g., Kagan, 1994; 1999); a brain area involved in threat sensitivity (LeDoux, 1996; Nader & LeDoux, 1999).…”