Attachment-related anxiety and social anxiety: the mediating role of self-esteem

Abstract

Numerous studies have found an association between attachment-related anxiety and social anxiety. However, none have investigated the potential role of the internal working model of the self in explaining this relationship. The purposes of this study were to replicate the finding that attachment-related anxiety and social anxiety are associated, and to test whether the internal working model of the self mediated this relationship. The internal working model of the self was operationalised by measuring self-esteem. It was hypothesised that attachment-related anxiety, self-esteem, and social anxiety would be intercorrelated, and that self-esteem would mediate the relationship between attachment-related anxiety and social anxiety. A sample of 63 adults (79.4% female) was recruited through social media, University course groups, and snowball sampling. Participants completed an online survey that consisted of a reduced version of the anxiety subscale of the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale. Ethical approval was given by the University of Edinburgh School of Health in Social Science Research Ethics Committee. Pearson correlation tests showed that attachment-related anxiety, self-esteem, and social anxiety were intercorrelated. A mediation analysis conducted using the PROCESS v4.0 macro for SPSS, found that the indirect effect of attachment-related anxiety on social anxiety through self-esteem was significant. This finding is congruent with a theoretical account linking attachment-related anxiety to social anxiety through the mediating role of the internal working model of the self.