POL, PERCIPIRANI VASPITNI STAVOVI RODITELJA, EMPATIJA I LOKUS KONTROLE KAO PREDIKTORI SOCIJALNE ANKSIOZNOSTI KOD STUDENATA

Abstract

The aim of this research was to examine the predictive power of gender, the dimensions of perceived parental rearing attitudes, empathy and locus of control in predicting social anxiety among students. The sample consisted of 297 students (71.7% female), aged 19 to 36 years (M = 22.29, SD = 2.46). Parental Rearing attitudes were operationalized through the score on the Parental Rearing Style Scale (dimensions: warm, cold, permissive and restrictive upbringing of the father and mother). Empathy was operationalized through the score on the Empathy Quotient, locus of control was operationalized using the Externality Scale, while social anxiety was measured using the Social Anxiety Scale. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis, in which the first model consisted of the gender variable, showed that this model as a whole is statistically significant (R2 = .021, F(1,295) = 6.290, p = .013). In the second step, the dimensions of parents’ educational attitudes were included and the results showed that their contribution in predicting social anxiety is statistically significant, as well as that the model as a whole is statistically significant (R2 = .106, F(7,289) = 4.881, p = .000). Gender was singled out as a statistically significant predictor within this model (β = .145, p = .011). In the third step, Empathy is included and the contribution of this variable in predicting social anxiety is statistically significant, as is the model as a whole (R2 = .150, F(8,288) = 6.363, p = .000). Statistically significant predictors within this model are gender (β = .158, p = .004) and Empathy (β = -.212, p = .000). Within the fourth model, Locus of control is included and the contribution of this variable in predicting social anxiety is not statistically significant, but the model as a whole is statistically significant (R2 = .159, F(9,287) = 6.017, p = .000) and gender (β = .146, p = .009) and Empathy (β = -.195, p = .001) stand out as statistically significant predictors. Conducted analyses show that female persons with lower empathy are more prone to social anxiety. The results are discussed in light of the available empirical evidence. Keywords: gender, parental rearing attitudes, empathy, locus of control, social anxiety, students