Since social anxiety is a major emotional problem in adolescence, it is important to understand factors and mechanisms affecting social anxiety for effective therapeutic intervention. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role of publi...
Since social anxiety is a major emotional problem in adolescence, it is important to understand factors and mechanisms affecting social anxiety for effective therapeutic intervention. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role of public self-consciousness on social anxiety, specifically interpersonal anxiety. In addition, the mediating effects of avoidance distractive emotional regulation and unconditional self-acceptance in the relationship between public self-consciousness and social anxiety were examined.
For this purpose, questionnaires including the Self-Consciousness Scale, the Avoidance-Distractive Measure of Emotional Regulation Scale, the Unconditional self-Acceptance Questionnaire, and Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents were administered to 324 high school students in Seoul. The results showed, first, avoidance-distractive emotional regulation partially mediated the relationship between public self-consciousness and interpersonal anxiety. Second, unconditional self-acceptance had full mediating effect in the relationship between public self-consciousness and interpersonal anxiety.
The present study has practical clinical implications emphasizing intervention for emotion regulation and positive self-concept in treating adolescents’ social anxiety caused by high public self-awareness. Limitations of the present study and suggestions for future study were also discussed.