Youth Shyness And Friendship Network: Establishment, Maintenance And Influence

Adolescence is generally considered to be a time of moving away from parents and moving toward peers.It is well known that peers provide an important and unique context for children’s socio-emotional,social-cognitive.However,peer experiences,including those involving friends,peer networks,and burgeoning romantic relationships,become increasingly influential on adjustment during the adolescent years.After years of neglect,shyness has become an important focus of study for researchers interested in developmental psychopathology.Indeed,shyness is now recognized as one of the strongest risk factors for internalizing difficulties during childhood,adolescence,and young adulthood.In the study,we explored the interaction relationships between friendship and shyness from a perspective of social network.Participants were a sample of 22 classes in Grade 7 from Anhui Province.Class play procedure was used to assess children’s shyness.Self-reports were used to measure children’s self-perceptions,depression and loneliness.A stochastic-actor based model of social network analysis was used to estimate the change of shyness and friendship network.The results showed:1.There was similarity on shyness and psychological adjustment among adolescents and their friends.2.Adolescent sought out other students who are similar on shyness to befriend.Similarity on shyness predicted the friendship formation;similarity on shyness didn’t predicted the friendship maintenance.3.Friends affect each other’s shyness and psychological adjustment as relationships endure.4.Adolescents’ shyness predicted their psychological adjustment while controlling for influence processes.