Differences in attribution style and self-conscious emotions between different categories of shyness

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