Original article Journal of Psychopathology 2015;21:30-39 Summary Objectives

The goals of this study were to explore the relationship between shy-ness and the quantitative and qualitative aspects of friendship during adolescence and to analyse the moderating role of such variables in the relationship between shyness and internalizing difficulties. Methods A total of 683 adolescents who were attending secondary and high schools in Florence were enrolled: 398 early adolescents (220 males and 178 females) aged 11 to 13 (M = 12.32; SD = 0.71) and 285 late adolescents (161 males and 124 females) age 17 to 19 (M = 17.71; SD = 0.68). Subjects completed a battery of questionnaires that in-cluded measures of shyness, quantitative and qualitative aspects of friendship and internalising problems. Shyness was assessed using th