Abstract
M.A.
The present study examined the relationship between shyness and self-conscious
emotions in terms of attribution style. Participants were administered questionnaires
and then categorized into fearful shy, self-conscious shy, undifferentiated shy and
non-shy groups. These four groups were then compared in terms of shyness, shame,
guilt, embarrassment, and attribution style. Furthermore, the relationships between
shame, guilt, and embarrassment and the different attribution styles were examined.
The fearful shy, self-conscious shy and undifferentiated shy groups differed from the
non-shy group in terms of the attribution styles of context and luck. The fearful shy
group was found to score higher than the non-shy group in terms of context, in
addition to the fearful shy as well as the self-conscious shy groups scoring higher than
the non-shy groups in terms of luck. However no differences were found in terms of
ability and effort between the four groups.
With regards to experiencing self-conscious emotions, the fearful shy, self-conscious
shy, and the undifferentiated shy groups differed from the non-shy group by scoring
higher on shame. The fearful shy, self-conscious shy, and the undifferentiated shy
groups also scored higher in terms of embarrassment from the non-shy group, with the
fearful shy group scoring the highest followed by the self-conscious shy group and
then the undifferentiated shy group. Furthermore, the fearful shy and undifferentiated
shy differed from one another with the fearful shy group scoring higher in terms of
embarrassment. The four groups, however, did not vary in terms of guilt. In terms of
the relationship between attribution styles and self-conscious emotions, positive
correlations were found between ability and shame and ability and embarrassment. A
positive correlation was found between effort and guilt. Positive correlations between
luck and shame and luck and embarrassment were also found.
Self-conscious emotions were found to be highly correlated with shyness. Attribution
styles may play a significant role in terms of an individual experiencing these
emotions. Shy individuals may differ from non-shy individuals with regards to the
attributions they engage in, causing them to experience self-conscious emotions to a
higher extent. This may suggest a cognitive component that may be associated with
self-conscious emotions. Therefore, shy individuals may be predisposed to
experiencing self-conscious emotions more frequently than non-shy individuals. It is
suggested that future research focus on this cognitive component in the experience of
self-conscious emotions.