Abstract

Background: Although the relationship between shyness and self-esteem is well described in the psychological literature, far less is known about the potential mechanisms that underlie this association. The main goal of the current work is to verify whether self-presentation acts as a mediating variable between both constructs. Methods: The study was carried out among 198 adults. The Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Self-Presentation Style Questionnaire were applied. Results: A large and positive correlation coefficient was observed between the following variables: (1) self-esteem/self-promotion; (2) shyness/self-deprecation. All other variables correlated negatively: (1) shyness/self-esteem; (2) shyness/self-promotion; (3) self-esteem/self-deprecation; (4) self-promotion/self-deprecation. Moreover, both self-promotion and self-deprecation acted as mediators between life satisfaction and self-esteem. Conclusion: The outcomes of the present study show a new mediating aspect for the direct relationship between shyness and self-esteem in the form of two styles of self-presentation. The results indicate that the tendency of shy people to avoid others can have a lower effect on their overall sense of self-esteem when they try to present themselves in a clearly favorable light. By contrast, shyness may have a stronger impact on their sense of self-worth when they present themselves as helpless, unsure, and incompetent.

Highlights

  • The research problem of the article is the relationship between shyness, self-esteem, and styles of self-presentation

  • The relationship between shyness and self-esteem is well described in the psychological literature, far less is known about the potential mechanisms that underlie this association

  • Our results provided the initial insight that the tendency of shy people to avoid others can have a lower effect on their overall sense of self-esteem when they try to present themselves in a clearly favorable light

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Summary

Introduction

The research problem of the article is the relationship between shyness, self-esteem, and styles of self-presentation. The concept of shyness is difficult to describe [1], there is some agreement that shyness is a tendency to avoid people [2] and feel inhibition, tension, unpleasant emotions, or discomfort in social interactions [3]. It affects many fields of the shy person’s functioning [4,5]. Shyness may be considered both as an emotional state and a personality trait [2,4,5]. Cheek and Buss [2] consider shyness as a stable construct and one of the most widespread and common personality traits

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