Abstract

The present study focuses on the phenomenon of social avoidance in a stressful situation and examines an integrated model involving rumination and emotional exhaustion. In addition, this study investigates the role of self-presentational motivation in these mechanisms. For this purpose, undergraduate and graduate students were recruited to complete a survey. Data were collected from 387 students using the Perceived Stress Scale and the participants who scored 16 or more were included in the final analysis. First, the results show that emotional exhaustion partially mediated the relationship between rumination and social avoidance. Second, self-presentational motivation had a moderating effect on the relationship between emotional exhaustion and social avoidance. Third, the moderated mediating effect of self-presentational motivation, which moderates the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion, was significant in the relationship between rumination and social avoidance. This study depicts that ruminative thoughts may predict social avoidance directly, and also may influence social avoidance through the mechanism of emotional exhaustion. In addition, this study found that when individuals are emotionally exhausted as a result of rumination and they have a strong motivation to present the desired impression to others, they will show greater avoidance regarding social interaction.