Adolescent Internalizing Difficulties and Low Perceptions of Social Competence Predict Increases in Both Shyness and Social Avoidance over Three Years

We evaluated personal and interpersonal risk indexes on two forms of social withdrawal in 408 adolescents. Internalizing (i.e., depression and anxiety) predicted increases in shyness three years later, while perception of social competence predicted decreases in shyness. Surprisingly, changes in active avoidance were predictable from the same variables.