Theory of shyness

1. Psychologists have argued that a person is born with social anxiety. Discuss.

Compare and contrast the main theories of social anxiety and shyness in relation to individual differences.

2. Are there any theoretical or empirical overlaps between the theories and findings? If so, where do they occur?

If you were to present an overview of these five or six chosen theories and findings, what different areas of psychology would you be emphasising? For example, are they biological or physiological, personality or cognitive, or social or clinical factors?

1. Evaluate Kagan’s theory of behavioural inhibition and its relevance to social anxiety and shyness for individual differences.

2. Define the main concepts within the theory of shyness and evaluate their relevance to individual differences.

3.  What are the main concepts within embarrassment? Evaluate the uniqueness of the theory in relation to shyness.

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