Shyness and anxiety: Protective role of extraversion. (August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hassan, Raha; Rowa, Karen; McCabe, Randi E.; Lahat, Ayelet; Schmidt, Louis A.
• Is Part Of: Personality and individual differences. Volume 178(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-08
• Subjects: Personality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Personality Development -- Periodicals; Personnalité -- Périodiques; Individualité -- Périodiques; 155.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110859
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0191-8869

Abstract

Abstract: The present study examined the moderating role of extraversion in explaining the relation between shyness and anxiety in a non-clinical early adolescent sample ( N = 119, n female = 75; M age = 12.93 years, SD age = 2.23 years) and a clinical adult sample from an outpatient anxiety disorders clinic ( N = 100, n female = 77; M age = 34.97 years, SD age = 12.66 years). We found evidence for the protective role of relatively high levels of extraversion in both samples, such that shyness was positively associated with anxiety in the context of relatively low levels of extraversion. Our results provide support for the protective role of extraversion in the presence of high levels of shyness. Highlights: Shyness interacted with extraversion to predict anxiety in adolescents and adults Shyness positively associated with anxiety in the context of low extraversion High levels of extraversion may be protective in the context of high shyness