Shyness and Embarrassment Perspectives from Social Psychology

In this volume leading international researchers draw upon a variety of perspectives on the study of shyness and embarrassment, shame, blushing, and self-consciousness.

In this 1990 volume leading international researchers draw upon a variety of perspectives on the study of shyness and embarrassment, shame, blushing and self-consciousness. The contributors conceive of shyness and embarrassment as widely shared everyday experiences in which the desired routine flow of social interaction is inhibited by self-consciousness and feelings of discomfort or foolishness. The dominant position within social psychology - that these are aspects of social anxiety - is both attacked and defended. The role of unwelcome self-referential thoughts in the experience of the social emotions is critically evaluated in terms of objective self-awareness, social anxiety, and impression management theories. This engaging volume will appeal to all of those interested in psychology - particularly in personality theory, social and clinical psychology, and the study of the self - and to students and teachers of communication studies and related disciplines.

Acknowledgements; Introduction W. Ray Crozier; Part I. Theoretical Issues in the Study of Shyness and Embarrassment: 1. Social psychological perspectives on shyness,embarrassment and shame W. Ray Crozier; 2. Shyness and embarrassment in psychological theory and ordinary language Peter R. Harris; 3. The expression of shyness and embarrassment Jens Asendorff; 4. The impact of focus of attention and affect on social behaviour Frederick X. Gibbons; 5. The evolution and manifestation of social anxiety Paul Gilbert and Peter Trower; Part II. An Emphasis Upon Embarrassment: 6. Embarrassment: a conceptual analysis Rom Harré; 7. Embarrassment and blushing: a component-process model, some initial descriptive and cross-cultural data Robert J. Edelmann; 8. Blushing as a discourse: was Darwin wrong? Cristiano Castelfranchi and Isabella Poggi; Part III. An Emphasis Upon Shyness: 9. A definition of shyness and its implications for clinical practice Henk T. Van Der Molen; 10. Shyness and self-presentation James A. Shepperd and Robert M. Arkin; 11. Shyness as a personality trait Jonathan M. Cheek and Stephen R. Briggs; 12. Social anxiety, personality, and the self: clinical research and practice Lorne M. Hartman and Patricia A. Cleland; Name index; Subject index.

In this 1990 volume leading international researchers draw upon a variety of perspectives on the study of shyness and embarrassment, shame, blushing and self-consciousness. The contributors conceive of shyness and embarrassment as widely shared everyday experiences in which social interaction is inhibited by self-consciousness and feelings of discomfort or foolishness.