Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediation effects of rejection sensitivity and ambivalence over emotional expressiveness regarding the effects of behavioral inhibition temperament on social anxiety. To verify this, behavioral inhibition temperament, rejection sensitivity, ambivalence over emotional expressiveness, and social anxiety were measured in 386 adults. The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between behavioral inhibition temperament in adulthood, rejection sensitivity, ambivalence over emotional expressiveness, and social anxiety. Second, behavioral inhibition temperament had a direct significant effect on social anxiety. Third, behavioral inhibition temperament had a significant indirect effect on social anxiety by mediating both rejection sensitivity and ambivalence over emotional expressiveness. Finally, it was found that behavioral inhibition temperament had an indirect significant effect on social anxiety by sequentially mediating the rejection sensitivity and ambivalence over emotional expressiveness. The results of this study are meaningful for understanding the causes of social anxiety in adults and the interaction of individual internal variables including adult temperament. Further, the findings suggest that a multifactorial perspective is needed to understand social anxiety in adults. The research findings also suggest that social anxiety can be alleviated through counseling strategies that deal with adults’ psychological characteristics.