The Relationship Among Shyness, Social Support, Self-Evaluation, And Social Efficacy Of College Students

In daily life, the word"shyness"means feeling uncomfortable in social situations, but"shy"is not an entirely derogatory term. If the degree of shyness is appropriate and it mainly occurs in specific situations, it can be regarded as a normal response; however, if the degree of shyness is too high or it occurs in almost all situations, it will seriously affect the individual's learning, behavior, life as well as physical and mental health. In recent years, western psychologists explored issues of shyness and found that individual shyness reactions showed in several aspects, cognitive, emotional, ect; meanwhile, it has close relationship with perceived competence interpersonal situations. In particular, high-shy individuals are often lack of confidence during the conversation; meanwhile, self-assessment on their social skills is low, which cause more negative emotions. Since researchers have proposed the existence of cultural differences in shyness, we should study shyness under the background of Chinese culture. For another, college students are in the critical stage of absorbing professional knowledge, mastering professional skills and preparing for graduation;however shyness will affect their academic performance, making friends, and career planning, ect. The author has done the empirical research with the college students as subjects to find the consistence and differences of shyness of college students under the background of Chinese culture.Using"Undergraduate Shyness Scale","Social Support Rating Scale","Personal Evaluation Inventory"and"the Social-Efficacy of College Students Questionnaire", this study investigated 379 college students from three universities in Shandong Province to test the status of college students'shyness, social support, the features of self-evaluations and social-efficacy. Further, it explores the relationship between shyness and social support, self-evaluations and social efficacy using linear. The results are as follows:1. The scores of the self accusation, fear of rejection and shyness of college students have significant differences among different grades. The sophomore's scores were significantly higher than freshmen. Only child and non single child have significant differences in dimensions of self-accusation: only children's scores were significantly lower than non-single child. There is no significant difference between male and female college students in shyness and its various dimensions.2. In social support, self-evaluation and social efficacy, there exists significant grade differences : Freshmen's scores were obviously higher than sophomores'. There are significant differences in social support, self-evaluation and social efficacy between only child and non-single child. The features are as follows: the only child's scores were significantly lower than non-single child in sense of social support. The only child's scores were significantly higher than non-single child in self-evaluation and social efficacy. There is no obvious gender difference in social support, self-evaluation and social efficacy.3. Except seeking favor, the scores of self-accusation, fear of rejection, expression of self-restraint and shyness is negatively correlated with social support and its various dimensions.4. Except that seeking favor only has significant negative correlation with talking, and has no significant relationship with self-evaluation and its other dimensions, self-accusation, fear of rejection, expression of self-restraint and shyness all have significant negative correlation with and total scores of self-evaluation and other dimensions.5. Seeking favor only has significant negative correlation with the efficacy of coping with a stranger and no obvious relation with other dimensions and total scores of social self efficacy, however, self-accusation, fear of rejection, expression of self-restraint and shyness have significant negative correlation with other dimensions and total scores of social self efficacy.6. Self-evaluation plays a partial mediating role between social support and shyness.7. Social efficacy plays a partial mediating role between social support and shyness.