Associations between Shyness and Maternal and Paternal Bonds across Adolescence

Abstract

Shyness has been defined as a tendency to feel anxious and to show inhibited behavior in interpersonal situations [8], for instance, to be afraid or experience discomfort upon meeting people. In particular, certain situations, such as interacting with authority figures, members of the opposite sex and strangers, are more likely to elicit shyness. Studies have also consistently found that shy people appear to be at risk for later maladjustment, such as psychological and social difficulties [9,10].In particular, shyness has been considered to be a risk factor for the development of internalizing problems, including low selfesteem [11], excessive self-consciousness [12], fear of negative evaluation, and loneliness [13]. Moreover shy people have been found to be more likely than non-shy people to develop various forms of emotional disorders, such as depression and anxiety [14][15][16].Shyness is also associated with several types of interpersonal difficulties, such as expressing one's own opinions or talking AbstractObjective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between shyness and the parental bond in early (N = 227) and late adolescence (N = 248) through participants' perceptions of their bond with their parents.Method: Shy subjects were compared with their non-shy peers across three dimensions of their perception of parenting behavior: (a) care, (b) encouragement towards autonomy, and (c) overprotection. Participants completed a parental bond measure and a measure of shyness. Results:Results showed that shy adolescents perceived their parents as less warm and supportive, less encouraging of autonomy and independence, and more overprotective than non-shy youth did. No significant differences were found in relation to gender and age. Conclusion:Results indicate that the perceived quality of the parent-adolescent relationship is higher in non-shy than in shy subjects since the latter perceived their parents to be more intrusive and protective than non-shy participants did. These results are consistent with previous findings on the influence of parental behaviour on shy children and extend these results by confirming that adolescents report a similar tendency in their parents' behavior.

Exploring Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Third-Year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Investigating Treatment-Seeking Attitudes

“…The results showed that 71.9% (64) were not seeking treatment. Only 9% (8) were seeking treatment and 19% (17) did not feel the need to seek treatment for anxiety. When asked about their willingness to seek treatment, 37.1% (33) were not willing to seek treatment, 38.2% (34) were willing to seek treatment and 24.7% (22) felt like they did not need treatment for anxiety.…”

“…From our study group, 8.3% of the students felt shy about sharing their problems with doctors. This may be a natural tendency or the result of inconsistent parenting, including being more overprotective, less warm, and supportive, and less encouraging of autonomy and independence (Lucia et al 2017). Inconsistent parenting can also lead to individuals bearing high levels of anxiety, as is proven by a study by Yose Yaffe, concluding that Parents with non-authoritative parenting styles (such as overprotective, authoritarian, and neglectful ones) who frequently use exaggerated (such as preventing autonomy), harsh, or inconsistent control are more likely to raise children and adolescents with anxiety disorders.…”