경험회피와 사회불안 간의 관계에 안전행동이 미치는 매개효과

Abstract

Objectives The present study aimed to examine whether safety behavior mediates the effect of experiential avoidance on social anxiety. Methods 352 undergraduate students were recruited both online and offline to complete a questionnaire including a Social Phobia Scale(SPS), Social Interaction Anxiety Scale(SIAS), Korean version of the Multidimensional experiential avoidance questionnaire(K-MEAQ-24), and Subtle Avoidance Frequency Examination(SAFE). Results As a result of correlation analysis, there was a significant positive correlation between experience avoidance, safety behavior, and social anxiety, and the normality of the distribution was confirmed when examining the skewness and kurtosis of major variables. In addition, when verifying the measurement model through the structural equation, the model-fit was appropriate, and the factor load of all measurement variables was significant. After that, a complete mediation competitive model was assumed and compared with the partial mediation model, a chi-square difference test result showed a significant difference, and a larger explanatory research model was adopted, that is, subtle safety behavior mediated the relationship between experience avoidance and social anxiety. Conclusions Results suggest that unwillingness to experience distressful thoughts and emotions leads to dependence on avoidance behavior. Moreover, the unwillingness might increase anxiety which the individual feels in social performance and interactive situations.