Premium
The Role of Social Performance and Physical Attractiveness in Peer Rejection of Socially Anxious Adolescents
Author(s) -
Blöte Anke W.,
Miers Anne C.,
Westenberg P. Michiel
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of research on adolescence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.342
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1532-7795
pISSN - 1050-8392
DOI - 10.1111/jora.12107
Subject(s) - psychology , physical attractiveness , attractiveness , social anxiety , social rejection , developmental psychology , social inhibition , anxiety , social psychology , social relation , psychiatry , psychoanalysis
This study addressed the role of social performance and physical attractiveness in the link between social anxiety and peer rejection in first‐time social situations. Recordings of 20 high and 20 low socially anxious adolescents giving a speech were rated by unfamiliar peers ( N = 534) with regard to desire for future interaction (lower scores indicating rejection), social performance, and physical attractiveness; trained adult raters also evaluated social performance. Findings showed high interrelations between the different peer ratings and moderate correlations between adult and peer ratings. High socially anxious students were more rejected and social performance and physical attractiveness partly mediated the link between social anxiety and rejection. The findings may have important implications for socially anxious youth entering new social situations.