The Reasons of Adult Shyness

Sapientia Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Development Studies (SGOJAHDS), Vol.4 No.1 March, 2021; p.g.
125 – 136; ISSN: 2695-

2319 (Print); ISSN: 2695-2327 (Online)
CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SHYNESS IN ADULTS
PHILIP, ETHER LENGKAT

Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Sciences,
University of Jos, Nigeria
&
BODANG, ROTKANGMWA JULIANA

Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Sciences,
University of Jos, Nigeria
Abstract
This paper examined the issues relating to shyness in adulthood. It is regarded as a
contemporary psychological situation in human life. As an adult in the society, it is
expected that as an adult member of society, no matter how an individual reacts to any
situation, it is expected that one should be bold enough. It is a dismay to see that many
adults are not bold enough to talk to the public. This paper therefore, looked at the
causes, the theories that underpin the issues of shyness in adults, the Psychological
effects and the genetic treatment of shyness of the adult. It is however recommended
that the adult members of the society should be adequately involved in the affairs of the
society. The effort will reduce shyness trauma among the adult members of the society.
Keywords: Adults, Causes, Consequences, Shyness, Society.
Introduction
Many people have shy attributes and may express these in their everyday lives which is
commonly associated with some sort of negativity or unpleasantness and previous research
has shown that about 40% of people report willingness to describe themselves as “shy
persons.” It is a phenomenon seen as a tendency to avoid social interactions and to fail to
participate appropriately in social situations which means that the tendency to be shy can
create barriers to love, work, play, and friendships. Shy people suffer numerous
disadvantages and, compared with non-shy people, they more likely regard their networks
(i.e., offline networks) as less supportive and less satisfying and are happy to be by themselves
or to participate minimally in social encounters (Parrott 2000). It should be noted that shy
people had less social support, smaller friendship networks, and fewer, more passive
interactions in their offline lives than the non-shy people. Thus it is important to understand
the nature and scope of the phenomenon of shyness as essential in helping people to overcome
such unpleasantness.
People may experience shyness in two major ways: publicly and privately, but it has been
associated with several emotional, social, and academic as well as professional problems.
While there are multiple difficulties that often accompany shyness, there appear to be some
factors that can moderate the negative effects. However, research has demonstrated certain
understanding of the phenomenon in childhood with minimal research illuminating the
causes and consequences of shyness in adulthood. Shyness has been described as one of the
CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SHYNESS IN ADULTS 125
Sapientia Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Development Studies (SGOJAHDS), Vol.4 No.1 March, 2021; p.g. 125 – 136; ISSN: 2695-
most central and intriguing dimensions of the human condition (Zimbardo & Henderson,
2000). Many of the people who are willing to describe themselves as shy persons regard their
shyness as a problem, and various investigators have begun to develop remedies for the social
anxieties as well as social skills deficit associated with shyness in both normal and clinical
populations .To achieve this kind of fit in the training of social skills is to deal with shyness,
it is important to understand the nature and scope of the problem through a careful
assessment of the components of such skills and of the behavioral differences between shy and
not shy persons. Earlier attempts to locate such differences have surprisingly revealed few of
them Borkovec, Stone, O’Brien, & Kaloupek,(2005) suggested that more evidence is needed
to document their existence and expressions. For instance, there is need for research to be
designed to examine the verbal, nonverbal, and affective or emotional differences between
self-reported shy and not shy persons.
It is also important to understand possible gender differences in the manifestation of shyness

and to learn more about the contextual factors that influence social anxiety. Pilkonis (2006)
included two situational variations in a research design where shy people often report that
their anxiety is evoked by ambiguous situations in which they are uncertain about how to
behave; therefore, structured episodes and unstructured episodes were contrasted during an
experiment. For instance, it is easy to expect that the presence of a stranger during an anxiety-
arousing task will hamper the performance of a shy person; therefore, the presence or absence
of a confederate during such a task period would also vary the outcomes or the behavior and
choices of the shy person, just as one-to-one, opposite-sex interaction or presentations would
vary in the analyses of both verbal and non-verbal behavior/action.
There are two major types of shy persons: those persons who are privately shy and focus on
internal events (subjective discomfort, physiological arousal, fear of negative evaluation) in
describing their shyness, and those persons who are publicly shy and regard their behavioral
deficiencies (failures to respond, inappropriate or awkward responses) as more critical aspects
of their shyness. One common thread in all shy people is that private anxieties are important
to some degree because such anxieties are relatively inaccessible to observers, and because
there is a good deal of ambiguity involved in interpreting the absence of behavior that
characterizes shyness, which can be predicted that observers would be less accurate in general
in identifying shy than not shy subjects under observation – just as it is easy to predict that
privately shy persons would be even harder to identify than publicly shy individuals .
Discriminant analysis to determine the most salient differences between shy and not shy
persons have also been performed.
The prevalence of shyness appears to be increasing in society since toward the end of the 20th
century and the beginning of the 21st century, with over 50% of individuals endorsing shyness
in the research literature (Zimbardo & Henderson, 2000) and such increase has been attributed
to the rising occurrence of poor socialization within the family structure and increased social
isolation due to reliance on technology.
Causes and consequences of shyness

In exposing the causes and consequences of shyness, especially as it affects adults, this paper
examines the definitions of shyness and the theoretical foundations upon which the concept
is situated. The paper reviews the empirical literature on shyness and identifies major strides
in research as well as suggests direction for further studies. The empirical study of shyness
has gained momentum over the last 50 years along with significant advancement in its
theoretical understanding and methodological approaches to its study. This Has Been made
possible by the paradigm shift within the field of psychology from the behavioral emphasis
to include the cognitive processes, which broadened conceptualization of social deficits in
terms of social skills to include self-concept and self-evaluation. A growing body of empirical
work has contributed to efforts to clearly define shyness as well as to understand the affective,
behavioral, and cognitive aspects of shyness. Other endeavors also have been undertaken to
shed light on developmental issues and biological foundations of shyness as well as to
develop appropriate measurement tools and treatment techniques, irrespective of the fact that
the overall understanding of shyness in both childhood and adulthood remain meager.
Concept of Shyness
Shyness seems to have always been present in the history of human social relationships
though it has only recently become the subject of scientific inquiry, from around the second
half of the 20th century to this day. The simplest and most basic understanding of shyness
assumes fear of other people (Chec, 2019). Hippocrates described the phenomenon of
excessive fear of people, presenting a man who “loved darkness as life”, “dared not come in
company, for fear he should be misused, disgraced, overshoot himself in gesture of speeches, or be sick”,
and “thought every man observed him” (Lydiard, 2019).
The concept of timidity also appears in the works of Aristotle of Stagira, who presents a type
of shy person who experiences a fear of acting and speaking. He calls such an individual
“idle,” thus juxtaposing them with a “shameless” one. Chec, 2019).In times, the term ‘shyness’
has been used to represent diverse psychological experiences in empirical literature and is not
a precise term (Chec, 2019; Crozier, 2000.
Leary, (2016) reviewed the various definitional classes of shyness and proposed that it is
problematic to conceptualize shyness as simply a behavioral display (i.e., inhibition) or as an
emotional, subjective experience (i.e., social anxiety). Thus to provide a more comprehensive
and accurate picture of shyness to guide research, Leary (2016) proposed that it is optimal to
include both subjective social anxiety and inhibited social behavior in its definition. Another
way to define shyness was provided by Pilkonis (2006) as a tendency to avoid social
interactions and to fail to participate appropriately in social situations.
Shyness is therefore, defined as “a heightened state of individuation characterized by excessive

egocentric preoccupation and over-concern with social evaluation… with the consequence that the shy
person inhibits, withdraws, avoids, and escapes social interactions” (Zimbardo, 1992). Shyness is a
basic human instinct, following in the philosophy of Darwin while Izard (2007) described
shyness as a discrete, fundamental emotion (an emotion profile in a “shy” situation includes
interest and fear, which interacts with shyness). It implies that shyness can be defined as the
experience of anxiety in social situations coupled with the avoidance of interpersonal
interaction due to fear of interpersonal evaluation. Common synonyms include bashfulness,
timidity, self-consciousness, and reticence (Cheek & Tyson, 2009).

Shyness is a combination of genetics, socialization, and modelling by an adult caregiver and

it emphasized a particular attributional style that encompass locus of control, stability, and
controllability.
Generally, shyness is a behavior the public observes but finds it difficult to define. For
instance, shyness may be viewed as a tendency to be self-conscious, uncomfortable, and
anxious while socially engaged, especially upon initial interaction. It has also been viewed as
a cognitive dysfunction, in that a person feels responsible for social failures.The use of
different terms to define the problem, such as “temperamentally or behaviorally inhibited”
and “communication apprehension” (Rickman & Davidson, 1994; Manning & Ray, 1993).
Emotional State and Personality Trait of Shyness in Adults

According to Cheek and Tyson (2009), the experience of shyness typically involves three
components:
1. Global feelings of emotional arousal and specific physiological complaints, such as

stomach upset, pounding heart, sweating, or blushing which define the somatic-
anxiety component of shyness;
2. The cognitive component of shyness constituted by acute self-consciousness, self-
critical thoughts, and worries about being evaluated negatively by others; and,
3. Observable behavior such as quietness, cautiousness, awkward body language,
avoidance of eye contact, and social withdrawal.
From an evolutionary perspective on emotional development, a moderate amount of

wariness, concern, and caution regarding strangers and unfamiliar or unpredictable situations
has considerable adaptive value. In addition, according to Cheek and Tyson (2009),
anticipatory social anxiety is functional when it motivates preparation and rehearsal for
important interpersonal events and shyness also helps to facilitate cooperative group living
by inhibiting individual behavior that is socially unacceptable.
Gayus (2003) further explain that situational shyness as a transitory emotional state appears
to be a normal aspect of human development and everyday adult life. For some people,
however, shyness is more than a temporary situational response; it occurs with sufficient
frequency and intensity to be considered a personality trait. About 30-40% of adults
(particularly in the United States) label themselves as dispositionally shy persons. For those
with early-developing shyness, genetic and physiological factors play a significant role in
personality development. Retrospective reports indicate that 75% of young adults who say
they were shy in early childhood continue to identify themselves as shy persons
Slightly more than half of shy adults report that they first became troubled by shyness
between the ages of 8 and 14, and they do not appear to have the temperamental
predisposition for becoming shy and inhibited. Instead, late-developing shyness is caused by
the adjustment of problems of social development normally encountered in the transition
from childhood to adolescence. The bodily changes of puberty, the newly acquired cognitive
ability to think abstractly about self and other people, and the new demands and
opportunities resulting from changing social roles combine to make adolescents feel intensely
self-conscious and socially awkward. The development peak for shyness occurs around age
14 when two-thirds of the girls and more than half of the boys identify themselves as shy.
Late-developing shyness, however, seems to be less likely to endure than the early developing
temperamental predisposition. Adolescent self-consciousness gradually declines after age 14,
and less than 50% of survey respondents who first became shy during later childhood and
early adolescence still consider themselves to be shy by age 21 – which is higher for females
than males in most age groups.
Considering the theoretical links between social anxiety and shyness, Dzwonkowska (2019)
states that it is impossible to distinguish between them. Social phobia differs from social
anxiety in terms of symptom severity, however, but since its appearance in various
classifications of diseases [such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health
(DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)], social anxiety disorder (SAD)
has become difficult to be differentiated from “pure shyness.” In the DSM-5, for instance, SAD
is described as a fear of negative judgement on the part of people who observe the behavior
of the individual. According to Dzwonkowska (2019), people with SAD are afraid they might
act “stupid” or tactless during social interactions, i.e., they will choke, their hands will shake
when writing or appearing in public or they will be unable to speak or perform, e.g., dance in
front of the audience, etc.
Due to intense anxiety, SAD patients avoid most social situations. Many report physical
symptoms, including blushing, trembling of the limbs or sweating, the mere anticipation of
which may trigger panic attacks. SAD begins at an early stage and lasts for years. “The fear,
anxiety or avoidance is persistent, typically lasting 6 or more months” (Swiecicki & Galecki, 2015).
SAD is accompanied by distress or disability and limitation of professional, academic, or
social functioning though the DSM-5 dictates that social phobia should be differentiated,
among others, from shyness. However, shyness remains a normal personality trait that can be
mistaken for social phobia or SAD. It is a facet of personality that people, especially those less
socially open, can consider positive and attractive, as shy persons are less expansive, easier to
get closer to and make friends with (Chec, 2019).
Theoretical Dimensions of the Causes and Consequences of Shyness

Shyness is subjected to different theoretical orientations and this has further complicated its
definition. For example, Srivastava, John, Gosling, and Potter (2003) compared the “Big Five”
factors (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) and the
contextual theory of personality. The former (Big Five), also known as the “plaster hypothesis”
stated that personality was based upon biology and remained relatively stable throughout life
(a kind of trait personality) while the latter, by contrast, viewed personality as evolving
through circumstance and subject to change based upon both critical life periods and the
gender of the individual (a sort of state rather than trait personality) – which may be viewed
as a kind of trait-versus-state debate as to which is the basis for shyness. Additional theoretical
orientations include early childhood attachment between child and caregiver and genetic and
neurological factors as the basis or causes of shyness. Some of these theoretical positions are
described in detail as they relate to the causes of shyness. Particularly, the paper focuses on
the following theoretical dimensions of the causes and consequences of shyness, namely:
Attachment theories and shyness, Attributional theories of shyness and Genetic origins of
shyness and the physiological responses to shyness
Theories of Shyness
Attachment theories that explain shyness emphasize both early emotional adjustment and
later social competency where it is believed that parents have influence over a child’s
personality development. A secure bond results in a secure child who feels comfortable to
explore the environment. The secure bond further allows the child to become accustomed to,
and later involved in, interpersonal relationships, which have been described in the research
literature that meeting a child’s early emotional needs had long-lasting, positive effects
(Considine, 2018). For instance, women who showed both increased psychological well-being
and social competence when securely attached to both parental figures as they transitioned
from childhood to adulthood (Kenney & Donaldson, 2008)
According to the attachment dimension, it is probable that the maternal influence was
traditionally stronger in the earlier days of development, as a mother is likely to spend more
time with the child and that differences in the way and manner mothers and fathers respond
to their children were observed when assessing the level of attachment, just as the degree of
marital conflict will negatively impact on attachment, an indicator of later social competency
(Young, & Mitchell, 1997). However, the degree to which a particular parent has a stronger
influence remains unclear, especially when factors such as genetics and cognitive self-talk are
introduced.
To further complicate the role of attachment in the later development of shyness, research has
also examined the role of culture and perceived parental bond. It should be noted that
parental variables and the influence of race in a sample of college students where assessments
were carried out to rate people’s perceived parental bond, social competencies, and overall
emotional wellbeing. The results showed that the African American and white samples held
similar views of parental attachment, where strong attachment bonds positively correlated
with stronger social competencies, regardless of race. However, in both groups, overall
perceived parental relationships were stronger for fathers (although this finding was stronger
for the African American sample) as against previous research that demonstrated a greater
maternal influence in attachment.
Another research finding is based on a double-mediation developmental model which was

based upon original attachment theories was conducted by Simpson, (2007). This model states
that the ability to successfully engage in romantic relationships is based upon a foundation of
successful infant attachment and peer relationships. In other words, the authors hypothesized
a positive correlation between infant attachment and peer relationship satisfaction, followed
by satisfactory romantic relationships – observed through a longitudinal study beginning at
infancy and continuing through 20 and 23 years of age. Participants were classified into either
secure, avoidant, or anxious/resistant attachment based on his or her responses. Assessments
were carried out at different socially significant stages of the participants’ development and it
was revealed that there was a correlation between attachment at infancy and feeling secure
and competent at critical stages of social development. The results of the study indicated a
domino effect, whereby less securely attached infants were less socially competent as
elementary as elementary school children. Consequently, this negatively impacted how social
relationships were viewed during adolescence and how later romantic relationships were
handled – suggesting a continuity between early attachment relationships later in life.

Based on research, therefore, shyness appears to be at least partially caused by the quality of
the early attachment between a child and caregiver, which has been a cross-cultural
phenomenon, noted in both overall theory and empirically based inquiry. An indirect
influence on attachment is marital discord, the degree of which negatively impacts parent and
child interactions, which unfortunately results in insecurely attached children with lifelong
social anxieties associated with shyness.
1. Attributional Theories of Shyness

The manner by which individuals explain life experiences is known as attributional style and
this can lean toward optimism or pessimism (Bruch & Pearl, 1995). Attribution is comprised
of three main factors, each falling within a continuum: locus of control, stability, and
controllability (Russell, 1982). The first, locus of control, is determined by the extent to which
a person assigns cause to an event to internal (positive) or external (negative) factors. In other
words, cause is either attributed to the self or something in the environment. Stability is
defined by whether the cause of an event is fixed (negative) or variable (positive) – i.e., a
person may believe the causal factor can change over time or that it is unchanging (e.g., luck
or chance). The third factor is controllability, or the extent to which a person believes that
capability for change (either internally or externally) is achievable. Shyness is correlated with
negative attribution styles, whereby a person perceives limited control. In shy individuals,
causal attributions are perceived to be resistant to change, and as such, negative outcomes are
expected (Telglasi & Hoffman, 2002).
To investigate attributional styles of shyness, Telglasi and Hoffman, further compared a

matched sample of shy and non-shy college students, asking each participant to complete a
10-item attributional measure that contained a situation with either a positive or negative
outcome. Each item was related to one of three situations: performing a task, close
interpersonal relationships, or initiating new relationships. Each item required that
participants imagine that the particular situation was happening. The researchers examined
the extent to which each participant internalized the outcomes of the situation, how each
generalized the causes to real-life situations, the likelihood of each situation actually
happening, and the potential impact of situation. They found that shy participants were more
likely to attribute the results of positive scenarios to circumstances in which they lacked
personal control. For instance, friendships were established at the workplace because co-
workers were friendly, not because the individual was likeable or made an effort to make
friends.
In negative scenarios, Telglasi and Hoffman (2002) further observed that shy participants
significantly ascribed imagined outcomes to their own stable behavioral patterns. In these
situations (e.g., “You gave an important talk, and the audience reacted negatively”), the degree to
which a shy participant placed blame on him/herself for negative situations was more
significant than credit for the positive. The authors reasoned that shy persons tended to expect
both negative consequences and undesirable outcomes, especially in unfamiliar situations.
This was primarily due to negative self-talk. Consequently, shy participants had difficulty
acknowledging success. These attributions further promoted socially inhibiting behaviors and
increased the likelihood of depression and/or anxiousness.

Another important aspect of shyness is its ability to resolve over time and in certain situations
as reported by Asendorpf and Wilpers (2008) in a longitudinal study of personality change
and social relationships. The goal of the study was to build evidence of either the relative
stability or the noticeable differences in personality due to environmental changes. The “Big
Five” personality factors were assessed on three occasions, and the extraversion factor
included subscales for both shyness and sociability. Each person was also asked throughout
the period of the study to list all important people in his or her life at that time. When the
measure was repeated a second and third time, the list was revised to include new people
and/or exclude people thought no longer important. In addition, each person was asked to
journal all social interactions that either exceeded 10 minutes or were less than 10 minutes but
emotionally charged. The authors concluded that personality adapted to a changing
environment. However, the changes were slight and minimally impacted then quantity and
quality of social relationships of shy individuals. In fact, new shy college students were
generally unsuccessful in reinventing personality. Although shyness decreased during the
period of the study, each of participants was still seen at a social disadvantage and the
question of which factors may influence resolution of shyness was yet to be answered.
Furthermore, two shy people may respond differently to a given social situation, and it is
believed that perceived control of this personality trait may be responsible (Beer, 2002). This
means that a shy person may minimize their shyness based upon cognitive mediation,
motivation, and self-awareness. This juxtaposes the theories that shyness is an aspect of fixed
personality as well as subject to change at the same time. For example, a shy person would
likely fail socially if he or she believed that shyness was unchangeable. Conversely, a person
who felt that shyness was controllable could socially succeed.
A shy person will often attribute perceived social failures to something within the self –
particularly situations with positive outcomes are externally dismissed as luck or chance,
while those with negative outcomes result in self-blame). The magnitude of this perspective
depends on how the individual perceives shyness, considering the cognitive mediation in
social situations.
2. Genetic Origins and the Physiological Responses of Shyness

Besides the attachment and attribution theorems of shyness, genetic and neurological factors
also impact social shyness. This is evident by observation of the parents of shy children and
by utilizing technology to measure brain reactivity (Kang, Gross, & Gabrielle, 2001). Even
though much of the research on shyness focuses on environmental etiologies, there are some
evidences attributing the origins of shyness to a socially fostered genetic predisposition.
According to research conducted by Canli et al (2001), parents of inhibited children tended to
display higher levels of anxiety. This parental anxiety was positively correlated with
behavioral inhibition of children, suggesting a biological influence to shyness – which is
especially triggered in unfamiliar situations. As a consequence of shyness, parents with
inhibited children displayed decreased extroversion, increased social avoidance, and shyness.
The authors concluded that the occurrence of shyness in children was based on a diathesis,
whereby behavioral inhibition was both genetic and environmentally triggered. While
parents are not to be seen as the sole cause of a child’s shyness, they are believed to establish
conditions in which shyness is possible (Lindhout, Markus, Hoogendijk, & Beer, 2009).

In a physiological study of personality, researchers examined brain reactivity to emotional

stimuli and its impact on personality Canli et al, 2001). The study was based on the “Big Five”
factors of personality trait, specifically extraversion and neuroticism. The study utilized
mainly women based on the assumption that women were more emotionally reactive than
men. Each of the participants were asked to scan a series of positive and negative pictures and
rate each in terms of arousal and emotional impact while their brain activation patterns were
monitored by functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI). The emotional intensity of the
response was a result of brain activity. The researchers concluded that specific areas of the
brain were activated when participants were presented with either positive or negative
stimuli. Overall, stronger brain activation to positive stimulus was positively correlated with
extraversion and localized to cortical and subcortical areas of the brain and amygdala. The
authors found that as neuroticism increased, extraversion decreased. In other words, two
factors associated with shyness, increased neuroticism and decreased extraversion, occurred
as a result of brain reactivity to emotional stimuli. This neuroticism factor is considered
especially important as it is linked to feelings of anxiousness and apprehension.
As a personality trait, neuroticism has been described as feeling lonely, even while in the
presence of others, and feeling worried and tense without identifiable cause. It should be
noted that those high in neuroticism may be more likely to react with fear, the emotion that
maintains shyness (Theall-Honey, 2006).
Cognitively, the specific fears or worries reinforce shyness are related to how a shy person
believes he or she is perceived by others and, neurologically, there appears to be higher brain
reactivity in the left hemisphere of the temporal lobe in those who score high in neuroticism
when presented with stimuli that evoke negative emotions .
Treatment for Shyness

In some cases, the treatment of shyness focuses on the clinical manifestations, such as anxiety
disorders or social phobia. However, individuals with low levels of shyness for whom the
condition nonetheless is negatively affecting their lives may also benefit from intervention
(Considine, 2018). The treatment for shyness is similar to the treatment of social phobia, even
though social phobia may be more of an impairing psychiatric disorder beyond normal
human shyness (; Burstein,, 2011). The most common approaches to treatment include
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), systematic desensitization, and skills training, including
assertiveness training, and positive affirmations. The Stanford/Palo Alto Shyness Clinic
identifies seven approaches, which may be applied to each individual in various
combinations. These are:
Social skills training, Simulated exposures to feared stimuli, Flooding (exposure to the feared
stimulus until elimination of reaction, In-vivo exposures, Communication training
i. Assertiveness training
ii. Thoughts/attribution/self-concept restructuring
The dominant approach to the treatment of social phobia was behavioral, particularly
desensitization but the CBT is more commonly used today for both individual and group
therapies with a focus on changing individuals’ negative cognitions, with research supporting
the efficacy of this type of treatment plan (Blanco, Heimberg, & Schneier, 2010).
Pharmacotherapy may be included in the treatment of some patients, utilizing anti-anxiety

medications, especially (Considine, 2015).
According to Pilkonis (2006), the differences between publicly and privately shy people
suggest that different kinds of interventions may be necessary for these two classes of
individuals. Publicly shy people, who are concerned primarily with behavioral difficulties,
would presumably benefit most directly from social skills training. Privately shy people, who
focus primarily on the quality of internal events, may require interventions aimed at changing
their experience and their evaluation of their experience, as well as their behavior. While they
would also benefit from skills training, additional techniques seem relevant for them. For
example, relaxation training might be useful for lessening both actual and imagined arousal,
and cognitive behavior modification techniques might be helpful in lessening excessive self-
consciousness and altering negative self-evaluations.
Conclusion
The causes of shyness in adults are yet to be demonstrated adequately to justify any firm
statements on the issue though shyness experts identify as possible causes to include (a) genes
predisposing a person to shyness, (b) a less than firm attachment bond between parent and
child (c) poor acquisition of social skills, and (d) negative attributional styles. So far, no one
clear cause of shyness, especially in adults, has been identified, but it is believed to be as a
result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors with physiological differences
identified between shy and non-shy individuals. While most explanations of shyness
constructs involve discomfort and the motivation to escape situations that contribute to it,
there is need to acknowledge that shyness per se does not necessarily involve problematic
emotion or avoidance of goals important to the shy person. One distinction to be made is that
shyness may include social anxiety as an emotional component, but social anxiety does not
necessarily lead to shyness behaviorally. The avoidant behavior has already been conditioned
to external stimuli and is not triggered by feelings of anxiety. As can be seen from empirical
demonstrations, shyness is much more complex than the common use of the term implies.
And, although shyness is part of common language and described both as an emotional trait
or state, chronic shyness is a fear of negative evaluation that is sufficient to inhibit
participation in desired activities and that significantly interferes with the pursuit of personal
or professional goals. Treatment of shyness usually should focus on changing the negative
cognitions of the shy person and/or training of skills to enhance social interactions, while the
use of medications may be prescribed in some cases.It is however suggested that society
should accommodate the adults in the society by involving the adults in the affairs of the
society.
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Sapientia Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Development Studies (SGOJAHDS), Vol.4 No.1 March, 2021; p.g.

125 – 136; ISSN: 2695-

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SHYNESS IN ADULTS

PHILIP, ETHER LENGKAT

BODANG, ROTKANGMWA JULIANA

Keywords: Adults, Causes, Consequences, Shyness, Society.

It is also important to understand possible gender differences in the manifestation of shyness

Causes and consequences of shyness

Shyness is therefore, defined as “a heightened state of individuation characterized by excessive

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SHYNESS IN ADULTS 127

Shyness is a combination of genetics, socialization, and modelling by an adult caregiver and

Emotional State and Personality Trait of Shyness in Adults

1. Global feelings of emotional arousal and specific physiological complaints, such as

From an evolutionary perspective on emotional development, a moderate amount of

Theoretical Dimensions of the Causes and Consequences of Shyness

Another research finding is based on a double-mediation developmental model which was

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SHYNESS IN ADULTS 130

1. Attributional Theories of Shyness

To investigate attributional styles of shyness, Telglasi and Hoffman, further compared a

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SHYNESS IN ADULTS 131

2. Genetic Origins and the Physiological Responses of Shyness

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SHYNESS IN ADULTS 132

In a physiological study of personality, researchers examined brain reactivity to emotional

Treatment for Shyness

Pharmacotherapy may be included in the treatment of some patients, utilizing anti-anxiety

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SHYNESS IN ADULTS 134

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SHYNESS IN ADULTS 135

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF SHYNESS IN ADULTS 136

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