TITLE:
Shyness: Subtypes, Psychosocial Correlates, and Treatment Interventions
AUTHORS:
Katherine M. Jones, Jay Schulkin, Louis A. Schmidt
KEYWORDS:
Shyness; Introversion; Subtypes; Psychosocial Correlates; Treatment Interventions; Social Anxiety; Risk Taking; Psychopathology
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.5 No.3,
March
28,
2014
ABSTRACT:
Decades
of research on the study of introversion and extraversion have allowed
researchers to distinguish among individual differences on each of these
dimensions. Research indicates that shyness, a rather common personality trait,
is a construct that is related, but not identical, to introversion. Once
regarded as a unitary construct, modern day personality theorists propose that
shyness is based on a number of orthogonal dimensions. Empirical evidence
suggests that distinct subtypes of shyness develop as a result of differences
in social approach and social avoidance behaviors. Temperamental shyness is a
risk factor for behavioral and affective problems, as well as more severe
psychological problems. This article focuses on the phenomenon of shyness by reviewing
its subtypes, psychosocial correlates, and efficacious treatment interventions.