Understanding Shyness

Everyone understands what it feels like to be shy at one time or another, to feel uncomfortable in a social situation, feeling that all eyes are upon you. Some people feel like this quite often and they think of themselves as basically shy; others, however, feel much more strongly; dreading social occasions and avoiding meeting people because they fear they will be embarrassed or their lack of social skills will lead them to be ignored or rejected. Recent surveys have shown that shyness is widespread in the community, and that social phobia is one of the most prevalent clinical problems.

Shyness and social anxiety have attracted increasing interest from psychologists in recent years. Developmental psychologists have asked what makes people shy. Do genes or early experiences within the family predispose someone to become shy as a child or an adult? Personality theorists ask if shyness is a fundamental trait, and whether it is different from introversion or anxiety. Social psychologists have looked at the similarities and differences between shyness and embarrassment, and have addressed the puzzling phenomenon of blushing. Why does your face go red in situation where you would rather be inconspicuous? Are shyness and embarrassment different forms of anxiety or are they distinct emotions? How is self-consciousness to be understood? There are also clinical perspectives on social anxiety; empirical research has compared therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behaviour therapy and pharmacological treatments for social phobia.
W. Ray Crozier, one of the foremost researchers on shyness, provides a critical overview of research into the subject from a range of psychological perspectives, including social, developmental, and clinical approaches. His book relates shyness to some of the major theories in psychology and shows how these provide insight into this complex pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviours.