Linking shyness to social anxiety in children through the Clark and Wells cognitive model

Abstract

Past research has begun to show that cognitive biases partially mediate the relation between shyness and social anxiety. In addition, it has been showed that the Clark and Wells (1995) cognitive model generalizes to youth. This study investigated the mediating role of the model in the link between shyness and social anxiety. Participants were 306 preadolescents, who completed measures of shyness, social anxiety, and cognitive variables implicated by the model (anticipatory processing, post-event processing, and social attitudes). The results confirmed that shyness, social anxiety and maladaptive cognitive processes were intercorrelated. Further, in a multiple mediator model, social attitudes, but not anticipatory or post-event processing, partially mediated the relation between shyness and social anxiety. Implications for school prevention interventions are briefly discussed.