Sexual characteristics of the manifestation of social anxiety in students

Sungurova Nina L'vovna ORCID: 0000-0001-7410-9779 PhD in Psychology Associate Professor; Department of Psychology and Pedagogy; Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 117198, Russia, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 10/2, room 627 sungurova_nl@pfur.ru Other publications by this author

Musina Rumiya Alievna Master's Degree; Department of Psychology and Pedagogy; Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 117198, Russia, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 10/2, room 627 1032221149@pfur.ru

Introduction

The problem of social anxiety of a personality is one of the most relevant in modern psychology. In the face of numerous challenges and an increasing number of unfavorable, stressful and traumatic life circumstances, the number of anxious students has increased significantly. A fairly large number of students experience excessive anxiety, insecurity, and emotional instability.

Social anxiety occurs in situations of social interaction that can trigger the fear of judgment from the environment. Students with a high level of social anxiety have a hard time adapting to learning conditions, learning situations, and group communication, and they have a hard time overcoming psychological, social, moral, and religious barriers in intercultural communication.

Literature review

In foreign psychology, research on social anxiety is presented in various aspects. D.M. Clark made a significant contribution to the understanding and treatment of social anxiety disorder ^[1]. The author has conducted numerous clinical studies aimed at studying the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of social anxiety. His work has demonstrated that cognitive behavioral interventions can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms and improve patients' quality of life ^[16].

R. Heimberg has studied social anxiety disorder and developed several cognitive behavioral therapy programs for its treatment. A.A. Lazarus has written extensively about social anxiety and developed a cognitive behavioral therapy called relational psychotherapy to help people with social anxiety ^[2].

In Russian psychology, the problem of social anxiety has been the subject of research by a number of scientists recently. S.L. Kubitsky studies social anxiety in the context of treatment using cognitive behavioral therapy ^[3]. In the works of K. A. Meleshko, it was revealed that communication and interaction with people with anxiety states does not go away without a trace, which, in turn, affects all participants in communication ^[4]. O. A. Mizulina considers the phenomenon of social anxiety within the framework of a cognitive-behavioral approach to its treatment, especially in children and adolescents ^[5].

A.P. Makhlayeva, in collaboration with the author, examines the features of social and school anxiety using the example of younger adolescents, emphasizing that the condition manifests itself as a way of expressing and concentrating on negative aspects in relationships with people ^[6].

The authors E.V. Grebennikova and I.L. Shelekhova revealed that the level of social anxiety among students is positively associated with the level of stress on psychological defenses of the individual ^[7].

In our research, we rely on the definition of social anxiety given by A.N. Stepanko, suggesting understanding a personality condition that is associated with anxiety and the expectation of threat or danger from other people, from contact with them ^[8]. These threats include: negative personality assessment, ridicule, public humiliation and fiasco. The involvement of young people in online social interaction, participation in various online communities also contributes to an increase in the level of social anxiety ^[9].

Social anxiety is in many ways a catalyst for communicative destruction in communication. Experiencing this state by a person makes it difficult for a person to understand their own emotional states, as well as to understand and adequately interpret the experiences of other people with whom they communicate ^[10].

Very often, students cannot act effectively in the presence of other people due to increased social anxiety, they experience the possibility of condemnation. This leads to avoiding contact with others and disrupting interaction. Students suffering from social phobia (an extreme manifestation of social anxiety) may experience maladaptation, refusal from activities related to frightening situations ^[11].

The problem of social anxiety among students is addressed by scientists and practitioners in the field of psychology and education.

I.D. Korytko notes that socially anxious students are characterized by a lack of self-confidence, restraint in expressing emotions, and a desire to avoid conflict situations. These features may be related to stress symptoms in various life circumstances. Experiencing social anxiety negatively affects students' interpersonal relationships ^[12].

The work of O.S. Prilepskikh points out the connection between social anxiety, isolation and subordinate behavior. Respondents with a high level of social anxiety experience a lack of confidence and exhibit subordinate behavior due to fear of rejection and negative evaluation from loved ones, they need significant, authoritative people and prefer submissiveness in relationships ^[13].

K. Darcy, J. Davila, and J.G. Beck have shown that experiencing social anxiety is associated with students choosing maladaptive strategies in interpersonal communication situations. Dependent and avoidant relationship styles in young people's romantic relationships were associated with high levels of social anxiety. The authors noted similar trends in the control of symptoms of depression, anxiety as a condition and as a personality trait ^[14].

The work of D.C. Beidel, S.M. Turner, and T.L. Morris points to the fact that the understanding of the clinical manifestations of social anxiety has increased recently. The authors provide empirical evidence confirming a direct link between indicators of social anxiety and adolescents' perception of their own cognitive and academic abilities ^[15].

The ideas of the evolutionary approach presented by R. Gilbert and his colleagues are interesting. According to this approach, social anxiety plays an important role in society, ensuring the reduction of conflicts within the group, maintaining public order, and observing established norms and rules. For an individual, social anxiety helps to form socially acceptable behavior and promotes self-regulation ^[16].

In this regard, we present the results of a study by O.A.Sagalakova, D.V. Truevtsev, I.Ya. Stoyanov, O.V. Terekhina, Yu.A. Shukhlova, devoted to social anxiety in adolescence and adolescence in the context of psychological security. It is noted that with pronounced social needs, manifestations of social anxiety and fear of ridicule among representatives of both sexes lead to avoidance of participation in public events, indicating psychological vulnerability ^[17].

Modern research reveals various aspects of social anxiety: socio-cultural factors, assessment and treatment methods, and the impact of this phenomenon on quality of life. It has been shown that students who are prone to experiencing one negative consequence of anxiety also demonstrate other manifestations of this phenomenon ^[18].

There are studies showing the effect of anxiety on memory. Respondents with high sensitivity to anxiety recall significantly more threatening words than neutral and positive ones. Sensitivity to anxiety is a cognitive risk factor for panic disorder ^[19].

Research on social anxiety helps to understand the problem and develop effective psychological support programs.

Setting the task

The article presents an analysis of the theoretical and empirical study of the features of social anxiety. The object of our research is personality social anxiety. The subject of the study is the sexual characteristics of social anxiety among students.

The aim is to identify the sexual characteristics of social anxiety among students.

We have put forward the following hypotheses:

1. There are gender differences in the manifestation of characteristics of social anxiety among students.

2. There are features of the interrelation of components of social anxiety in boys and girls.

Materials and methods

The study was conducted between March 2023 and June 2024 at Moscow universities (Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Moscow State University of Civil Engineering). The sample size was 80 people (40 girls and 40 boys) aged 18 to 23 years.

The following methods and techniques were used in the study:

Research methods: survey; methods of mathematical processing of psychological data: Mann-Whitney U-test, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Computer data processing was carried out using software packages "Microsoft Officeexel", "IBM SPSS Statistics 23".

Research methods: "Scale of social avoidance and distress" (D. Watson, R. Friend), "Short scale of fear of negative assessment" (D. Watson, R. Friend adapted by I. V. Grigorieva, S. N. Enikolopov, "Questionnaire of social anxiety and social phobia" (O. A. Sagalakova, D. V. Truevtsev).

Results and discussion.

Let's consider the results of a comparative analysis of the characteristics of the manifestation of social anxiety and social phobia among students by gender. Table 1 shows the data on the "Social Anxiety and Social Phobia Questionnaire" methodology.

Table 1. Results of a comparative analysis on the scales of social anxiety and social phobia

Notes: * — Differences are statistically significant at p < 0.05; ** — Differences are statistically significant at p < 0.01.

Note that all scales of the questionnaire show a tendency for more pronounced manifestations of social anxiety and social phobia in young men. Statistical data processing using the Mann-Whitney criterion confirmed significant differences on a number of scales. Young men are more likely to experience anxiety when they are in the center of attention, in situations of initiative due to fear of criticism, They are more restrained in expressing their emotions, especially when someone's expert assessment is required. Young people demonstrate direct expression of their emotions and opinions.

It can be assumed that young men are more under social pressure, experiencing compliance or non-compliance with social stereotypes, experiencing increased social anxiety. In the process of socialization, attention may be focused on the strong and independent characteristics of male behavior, which may make it difficult to openly express their doubts and fears, generating anxiety. In addition, young men often have rivalry in their relationships. Experiencing success/failure in different types of activity can contribute to the manifestation of social anxiety.

Next, a comparative analysis was performed on the scale of social avoidance and distress (Table 2).

Table 2. Average ranks on the scale of social avoidance and distress

Notes: * — Differences are statistically significant at p < 0.05; ** — Differences are statistically significant at p < 0.01.

Table 2 shows the results indicating statistically significant differences according to the Mann-Whitney criterion. Girls show a higher level of social avoidance and distress compared to boys. This difference may be related to the characteristics of gender-role identity, the development of social roles, the perception of various life situations and emotional response to stressors. Girls have a more developed ability to emotionally identify and express feelings, so they may be trying to avoid difficult life situations in order not to experience discomfort.

A comparative analysis of the results on the scale of fear of negative evaluation is given in Table 3. Statistically significant differences were found in the indicator under study.

Table 3. Average ranks on the scale of fear of negative evaluation

Notes: * — Differences are statistically significant at p < 0.05; ** — Differences are statistically significant at p < 0.01.

Note that girls are more susceptible to fear of negative evaluation from others. This can manifest itself in concern about how they are perceived by others, in an effort to avoid situations where they may be criticized. Young men show greater self-confidence and less sensitivity to the opinions of others. This may be related to the individual and personal characteristics of students, as well as to social norms and expectations regarding young men.

When analyzing the correlations between the characteristics of social anxiety obtained using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, general and specific relationships were identified that are characteristic of the student sample as a whole and separately for samples of boys and girls.

In the student sample, a positive relationship was found between the scales "Fear of negative evaluation" and "Scale of social avoidance and distress" (rs = 0.817, p<0.01).

A direct correlation between these scales was also found in the sample of girls (rs= 0.694, p<0.01).

An additional relationship was revealed in the sample of young men. The results are presented in table 4.

Table 4. Correlation coefficients between scales of methods

The boys

Notes: ** — Correlation is significant at p < 0.01 (two—way); * - Correlation is significant at p < 0.05 (two-way).

Correlation indicators indicate the presence of correlations between the fear of negative evaluation, social anxiety and the scale of social avoidance in the sample of young men. The revealed positive relationship between the fear of negative evaluation and the scale of social avoidance and distress indicates that the more pronounced the manifestation of fear of evaluation from others, the more young men tend to avoid uncomfortable situations and experience social distress. And this, in turn, can increase the level of social isolation and reduce the quality of life. Students who are afraid of a negative assessment will try to avoid participating in group activities, which may negatively affect their academic achievements and the development of social skills.

A moderate positive association between "Fear of negative evaluation" and "Social anxiety in the situation of "being in the spotlight, under supervision"" was found in the youth sample. This relationship may indicate that the fear of being judged or criticized increases anxiety in social situations. Students who are more sensitive to the opinions of others are likely to feel more anxious when they are under intense scrutiny. For example, during an exam session, when students are the object of attention from family, teachers, and tutors, which increases their level of social anxiety.

The identified features emphasize the need to take into account gender differences when working with young people. The results of the study can be useful for university teachers and psychologists in developing adaptive and preventive programs aimed at developing self-confidence and reducing the level of fear of social assessment, as well as creating a supportive educational environment that helps reduce anxiety and improve the psycho-emotional state of students.

Conclusion

The presented study shows the presence of gender differences in the manifestation of social anxiety. Young men show more pronounced manifestations of social anxiety and social phobia. The fear of being judged or criticized increases anxiety in social situations. Girls are prone to social avoidance and distress,

Social anxiety in college age is a kind of indicator of psychological well-being, the effectiveness of interpersonal interaction. Experiencing fear of negative evaluation from the social environment leads to avoidance of uncomfortable situations, experiencing social distress, avoiding social contacts in real life, and as a result, preferring online interaction.