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

Hassan, Raha; Willoughby, Teena

doi:10.1037/dev0001159

Cited by 8 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 67 publications

(130 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The purpose of present study was to empirically examine whether the approach-avoidance motivational conflict model of shyness described by Asendorpf (1990) predicted the longitudinal development of shyness from late childhood to adolescence (Study 1) 1 and from emerging adulthood to young adulthood (Study 2). Using growth curve analyses, we examined whether the approach-1 Study 1 used the same archival dataset recently used, and reported on, in Hassan et al (2021). In that study, we explored the interaction and directionality of temperament in relation to the growth of shyness, a conceptually different question to the present study in which we explore here the role of motivational tendencies and motivational conflict in predicting the development of shyness.…”

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1Study 1 used the same archival dataset recently used, and reported on, in Hassan et al (2021). In that study, we explored the interaction and directionality of temperament in relation to the growth of shyness, a conceptually different question to the present study in which we explore here the role of motivational tendencies and motivational conflict in predicting the development of shyness.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Approach-avoidance conflict and shyness: A developmental investigation.

Hassan¹,

Poole²,

Lahat³

et al. 2021

Developmental Psychology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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.

show abstract

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Approach-avoidance conflict and shyness: A developmental investigation.

Hassan¹,

Poole²,

Lahat³

et al. 2021

Developmental Psychology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The finding that nonemotion self-regulation was associated with prospective prosocial tendencies is largely in line with the extant literature. Numerous studies have examined the relation between self-regulation and prosociality and found positive associations 1 Results remained unchanged when using the shyness measure recently reported in Hassan et al (2021).…”

Section: Nonemotion Self-regulation and Prosocial Tendenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1Results remained unchanged when using the shyness measure recently reported in Hassan et al (2021).…”

mentioning

confidence: 93%

Shyness and prosocial tendencies during adolescence: Prospective influence of two types of self-regulation.

Hassan¹,

Willoughby²

2021

Emotion

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although children's self-regulation has been widely regarded as a panacea, there may be individual differences in the adaptiveness of self-regulatory processes depending on temperamental factors. We examined whether individual differences in two conceptually distinct types of self-regulation (i.e., emotion self-regulation, nonemotion self-regulation) moderated the association between shyness measured during late childhood (N = 1284; 49.8% girls, 84.1% White, mean parental education fell between associate's degree/diploma and undergraduate degree) and prosocial tendencies indexed approximately two years later during early adolescence. We found that children's shyness was negatively associated with adolescents' prosocial tendencies only at high levels of emotion self-regulation, and that shyness was positively related to prosocial tendencies only at low levels of nonemotion self-regulation. In the context of relatively higher levels of shyness, being "over" emotionally regulated may interfere with positive socioemotional outcomes. These findings may provide additional insight into the heterogeneity of self-regulation, and why some shy children may be reluctant to engage in prosocial acts.

show abstract

“…Shyness is a characteristic of temperament or personality that reflects a tendency to feel anxious and inhibited in anticipation of or during social situations (Cheek & Melchior, 1990) and has been investigated in western cultures for many decades (see Coplan et al, 2021; outcomes and are considered to be a risk factor for poorer socioemotional development and overall well-being (Caspi et al, 1988;Schmidt et al, 2017). For example, shyness in young adults has been associated with higher levels of internalizing problems such as social anxiety or social anxiety disorder (Henderson & Zimbardo, 2010;Poole et al, 2017) and depression or mood disorders (Alfano et al, 1994;Murberg, 2009;Schmidt & Fox, 1995) as well as with higher levels of negative emotionality and lower levels of selfregulation, dispositional characteristics proposed to be problematic for adaptive social functioning (see Eisenberg et al, 1995 andHassan et al, 2021). In addition, adults with relatively higher versus lower levels of shyness were more likely to experience a poorer relationship with their parents, friends, or romantic partners, and enter into marriage at an older age, experience more severe marital problems, or express lower marital satisfaction (Baker & McNulty, 2010;Caspi et al, 1988;Nelson et al, 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Are cross-cultural shyness comparisons valid? Testing invariance with multigroup CFA and the alignment method across eastern and western cultures.

Kong¹,

Brook²,

Zhong³

et al. 2022

Psychological Assessment

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Temperament/personality research has been largely based on an imposed-etic strategy: Self-report temperament/personality inventories created in and reflecting American culture were tacitly assumed to apply in other countries and cultures. Correspondingly, invariance tests on the underlying phenomena and their associated constructs have been rarely applied in cross-cultural studies and in those instances unsuccessfully. To explore this oversight, we investigated whether a western-based anxious shyness measure was equivalent across eastern-western cultures (Chinese, n = 816, 47.2% male; Canadian, n = 995, 30.8% male). In the first instance, we used the well-established multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) to show that there was measurement noninvariance in the one factor shyness scale across the two countries and the two countries by sex. We further examined the issue of noninvariance using the newer alignment method, an approach providing detailed information on noninvariance for each country model by parameter (across intercepts and loadings) as an alternative to the MGCFA restrictive assessment of whole scale construct validation. The findings suggested acceptable approximate invariance in the shyness scale to support an unbiased comparison of mean levels between the two countries and the two countries by sex. Chinese young adults had significantly higher mean levels of shyness than Canadian young adults. Despite some limited noninvariance, we were able to conclude that the underlying construct of shyness as measured in this study was equivalent across Chinese and Canadian cultures. Findings illustrated the difficulties and importance of first establishing fundamental measurement properties and equivalence in personality constructs before inferring cross-cultural universality in complex traits and characteristics. Public Significance StatementAmerican defined constructs assessed through questionnaires are assumed to apply across all cultural groups. Constructs are rarely tested for equivalence in measurement structure across groups. This study found that the same underlying shyness construct was being measured across Canadian and Chinese participants, allowing us to look at meaningful and unbiased mean differences in shyness. Chinese young adults had significantly higher mean levels of shyness than Canadian young adults.

show abstract

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

Cited by 8 publications

References 67 publications

Approach-avoidance conflict and shyness: A developmental investigation.

Approach-avoidance conflict and shyness: A developmental investigation.

Shyness and prosocial tendencies during adolescence: Prospective influence of two types of self-regulation.

Are cross-cultural shyness comparisons valid? Testing invariance with multigroup CFA and the alignment method across eastern and western cultures.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About