Shyness as a final common pathway for two different kinds of inhibition.

Abstract

This study suggests that the presence of mangers and the anticipation of social evaluation induce state shyness independently of each other and do not interact with trait shyness. This independence was found for 3 different methods of assessing state shyness in real dyadic interaction. Behaviorally, shyness toward strangers, but not evaluative shyness, was indicated by a closed body posture; evaluative shyness, but not shyness toward strangers, was indicated by blushing. Ss' free verbal descriptions of their emotions and cognitions obtained during the videnreconstruction of the shyness-inducing situations revealed that they were less aware of fear of strangers than of fear of social evaluation. These results and developmental considerations suggest that state shyness can be reconstructed as a final common pathway for at least 2 different kinds of inhibitory processes and that trait shyness among adults involves a particular susceptibility to both kinds of inhibition. This view of shyness is related to Gray's (1982) concept of inhibition and to the self-presentational approach to social anxiety by Schlenker and Leafy (1982).