This three-wave longitudinal study spanning five years evaluated the mediating roles of negative social self-perception and social interpretation bias in the link between adolescent shyness and... Show moreThis three-wave longitudinal study spanning five years evaluated the mediating roles of negative social self-perception and social interpretation bias in the link between adolescent shyness and social anxiety. Participants were 331 (pre-)adolescents aged 9 to 17 years old at Wave 1, with data from 261 participants available for the main analyses. The study used a parent-reported measure of shyness. Social anxiety and the mediator variables were self-reported. Results showed that shyness predicted a relative increase in social anxiety over time. Negative social self-perception mediated the shyness social anxiety link, but social interpretation bias did not. The results suggest that shy adolescents who think negatively about their social performance may become socially anxious. Boosting the social self-perception of shy (pre-)adolescents may help to prevent the development of social anxiety. Show less
This thesis deals with the negative perceptions of socially anxious youth in three different cognitive domains: (a) interpretation of ambiguous social situations, (b) self-evaluation of social... Show moreThis thesis deals with the negative perceptions of socially anxious youth in three different cognitive domains: (a) interpretation of ambiguous social situations, (b) self-evaluation of social skills and nervous behaviors, and (c) perception of physical arousal during social situations. It also addresses the issue of whether socially anxious youth's negative cognitions are justified as based on objective sources of information, such as independent observers, same age peers and actual physical responding. Show less
