Trajectories of social withdrawal from middle childhood to early adolescence

Differential Associations of Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Emotion Regulation with Generalized Anxiety and Social Withdrawal Among Children

Anxiety and social withdrawal are common internalizing problems among children linked to poor emotion regulation (ER). We investigated how specific components of ER (emotion awareness, emotion regulation strategy) are associated with generalized anxiety and social withdrawal in the two ER domains (intrapersonal and interpersonal). Study participants were 398 fourth- and fifth-grade students (49% girls) and 22 teachers from a Midwestern state in the United States. Study constructs were measured with student self-report, peer nominations, and teacher reports. We found anxiety was linked to poorer intrapersonal emotion awareness and greater use of adaptive and maladaptive intrapersonal regulation strategies. Social withdrawal was associated with poorer interpersonal emotion awareness and lower use of supportive and unsupportive interpersonal regulation strategies. Social withdrawal was also negatively associated with intrapersonal, adaptive strategy. The findings highlight the relevance of intrapersonal and interpersonal domains of ER in helping anxious and socially withdrawn children regarding their unique emotion regulation difficulties.

Impact of face trustworthiness on approach-avoidance behavior of adolescents with varied social anxiety traits

Approach/avoidance behavior is a basic human behavior pattern. However, more recent studies have demonstrated that this behavior pattern greatly differs among individuals. This heterogeneity has promoted research on exploring the predictive value of individual differences. Based on Person-Context Interaction Theory, the current study focused on the impact of face trustworthiness on adolescents' approach/avoidance behavior with varied social anxiety traits. Results revealed that the avoidance behavior of highly anxiety individuals was affected by face trustworthiness, while in contrast, individuals with low levels of anxiety were only affected by face trustworthiness in their approach behavior. This indicates that adolescents tend to be more responsive to external influences in behaviors where they have greater proficiency, whereas external factors have a less significant impact on behaviors in which they lack skill. Results were also interpreted in terms of two independent social motivations, which may benefit the development of adolescents' interpersonal relationships and the solution of extended problems caused by social problems.

Changes in adolescents' daily-life solitary experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: an experience sampling study

BACKGROUND

Adolescent solitude was drastically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As solitude is crucial for adolescent development through its association with both positive and negative developmental outcomes, it is critical to understand how adolescents' daily-life solitary experiences changed as a result of the pandemic.

METHODS

Using three waves of Experience Sampling Method data from a longitudinal study, we compared adolescents' daily-life solitary experiences in the early (nT1=100; MAge=16.1; SDAge=1.9; 93% girls) and mid-pandemic (nT2=204; MAge=16.5; SDAge=2.0; 79% girls) to their pre-pandemic experiences.

RESULTS

We found that adolescents with lower levels of pre-pandemic social support and social skills reported wanting to be alone less and feeling like an outsider more at both time points during the pandemic. In the mid-pandemic wave, adolescents with higher levels of pre-pandemic social support and social skills reported decreases in positive affect compared to the pre-pandemic wave.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that adolescents' daily-life solitary experiences worsened throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. There should be continued concern for the wellbeing of all adolescents, not only those already at risk, as effects of the pandemic on mental health might only manifest later.

Reciprocal longitudinal effects among Korean young adolescent' negative peer relationships, social withdrawal, and smartphone dependence

The research should consider the complex dynamics of social interaction to better understand smartphone dependence among adolescents. In social situations, adolescents can choose to interact with their peers or use their smartphones, and smartphone dependence can drive adolescents far away from interaction with their peers. Adolescents, conversely, may use smartphones to avoid peer interaction because they have experienced social withdrawal or negative peer relationships. Previous research has not discussed enough what precedes or follows in longitudinal relationships. This study aims to examine the reciprocal longitudinal effects between adolescents' negative peer relationships, social withdrawal, and smartphone dependence. The analysis used longitudinal panel data collected yearly between 2018 and 2020 from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) sampled from adolescents in the Republic of Korea and employed autoregressive cross-lagged modeling on 2230 participants. The reciprocal longitudinal relationships differed depending on the sub-factors of smartphone dependence. For instance, the sub-factor of smartphone dependence, including virtual life orientation and withdrawal, had reciprocal longitudinal relationships with negative peer relationships. The other sub-factor of smartphone dependence, including daily life disturbance and tolerance, influenced negative peer relationships consistently, but the converse path did not. In addition, social withdrawal longitudinally affected negative peer relationships the following year. However, the reciprocal longitudinal relationships between social withdrawal and smartphone dependence were not significant in any path in this research. This research provides practical implications for intervention to reduce smartphone dependence among young adolescents.

A cross-lagged twin study of emotional symptoms, social isolation and peer victimisation from early adolescence to emerging adulthood

BACKGROUND

Emotional symptoms, such as anxiety and depressive symptoms, are common during adolescence, often persist over time, and can precede the emergence of severe anxiety and depressive disorders. Studies suggest that a vicious cycle of reciprocal influences between emotional symptoms and interpersonal difficulties may explain why some adolescents suffer from persisting emotional symptoms. However, the role of different types of interpersonal difficulties, such as social isolation and peer victimisation, in these reciprocal associations is still unclear. In addition, the lack of longitudinal twin studies conducted on emotional symptoms during adolescence means that the genetic and environmental contributions to these relationships during adolescence remain unknown.

METHODS

Participants (N = 15,869) from the Twins Early Development Study completed self-reports of emotional symptoms, social isolation and peer victimisation at 12, 16 and 21 years old. A phenotypic cross-lagged model examined reciprocal associations between variables over time, and a genetic extension of this model examined the aetiology of the relationships between variables at each timepoint.

RESULTS

First, emotional symptoms were reciprocally and independently associated with both social isolation and peer victimisation over time, indicating that different forms of interpersonal difficulties uniquely contributed to emotional symptoms during adolescence and vice versa. Second, early peer victimisation predicted later emotional symptoms via social isolation in mid-adolescence, indicating that social isolation may constitute an intermediate pathway through which peer victimisation predicts longer-term emotional symptoms. Finally, individual differences in emotional symptoms were mostly accounted for by non-shared environmental factors at each timepoint, and both gene-environment and individual-specific environmental mechanisms were involved in the relationships between emotional symptoms and interpersonal difficulties.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the necessity to intervene early in adolescence to prevent the escalation of emotional symptoms over time and to consider social isolation and peer victimisation as important risk factors for the long-term persistence of emotional symptoms.

Prosocial behavior and psychopathology: An 11-year longitudinal study of inter- and intraindividual reciprocal relations across childhood and adolescence

The current study investigated whether prosocial behavior and emotional problems, peer problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity and inattention problems were long-term longitudinally and bidirectionally related at inter- and or intra-individual levels from early childhood through mid-adolescence. Parents in the United Kingdom reported their child's prosocial behavior and multidimensional psychopathology at ages 3, 5, 7, 11, and 14 years (N = 16,984, 51% male, 83% White). Four random intercepts cross-lagged panel models were fitted. Higher levels of earlier prosocial behavior were associated with greater than expected decrements in psychopathology. At an intraindividual, within-person level, prosocial behavior was negatively bidirectionally associated with peer, conduct, and hyperactivity and inattention problems. Also at an intraindividual, within-person level, prosocial behavior was unidirectionally protective against emotional problems. At an interindividual level, prosocial behavior and each dimension of psychopathology were negatively associated. Therefore, engaging in prosocial behavior can reduce psychopathological symptoms over time (and vice versa), and youth who are more prosocial also tend to experience fewer psychopathological symptoms. Intraindividual associations were small while interindividual associations were moderate to large. Implications for theory, future research, and evidence-based interventions are discussed.

Anxious-Withdrawal and Sleep Problems during Adolescence: The Moderating Role of Peer Difficulties

Anxious-withdrawal is a well-established individual risk factor for psychosocial difficulties during adolescence. It is unknown, however, whether it also places youth at increased risk for physical health problems, such as sleep difficulties. This study examines the concurrent and prospective associations between anxious-withdrawal and six types of sleep difficulties (i.e., sleeping too much, sleeping too little, talking/walking in sleep, being overtired, nightmares, and general trouble sleeping). We further evaluate whether these associations differ for adolescents who are high versus low in exclusion and victimization. The participants were 395 adolescents (Mage = 13.61 years; 35% ethnic minority) who completed peer nominations of anxious-withdrawal, exclusion, and victimization at Time 1 (T1). Their mothers completed reports of sleep difficulties at T1 and at Time 2 (T2). Path analyses revealed unique associations between anxious-withdrawal and several types of sleep difficulties (e.g., sleeping too much) at T1. Analyses also revealed a significant interaction effect between T1 anxious-withdrawal and exclusion/victimization such that anxious-withdrawal was prospectively associated with trouble sleeping only for those young adolescents who are highly excluded/victimized. Our findings are the first to link anxious-withdrawal to a physical health outcome in adolescence and point to the need for future research to not only examine anxious-withdrawal and physical health but also to include assessments of peer difficulties.

Peer Reputation Configurations and Associations with Friendship Adjustment

Peer reputation (PR) refers to how peer groups collectively view an individual in terms of socio-behavioral characteristics, such as aggression, social withdrawal, leadership, and prosociality. Despite considerable research on PR, few studies have considered PRs in relation to indices of friendship, particularly with a person-centered approach. The goal of the current study was to adopt such an approach and identify peer reputation configurations and their defining characteristics, and to examine how such configurations are linked to friendship prevalence and quality. Four hundred and twenty-six Italian seventh-grade students (57.3% male, Mage = 12.07) completed peer nomination measures of PR and reported on their friendships. Their mutual best friends were subsequently determined, and a friendship quality measure was completed. Teachers rated participants' problem behaviors and competencies. Cluster analytic methods produced four PR configurations that were defined by the following characteristics: (1) Shy/Excluded/Victimized, (2) Normative, (3) Aggressive/Arrogant, and (4) Prosocial/Popular. Teacher ratings supported these configurations such that Prosocial/Popular students were rated the lowest in problem behaviors and Shy/Excluded/Victimized and Aggressive/Arrogant were the highest in learning problems. Additional analyses showed numerous linkages between the configurations and friendship. For instance, Prosocial/Popular students were more likely to have mutual and satisfying friendships relative to students in the other groups. These findings provide new insights into the complex linkages between group- and dyadic-level peer experiences during early adolescence and may inform prevention and intervention efforts aimed at Shy/Excluded/Victimized youth struggling with peers.

Growth of preference for solitude in urban and rural Chinese adolescents

Introduction

As individuals enter adolescence, their preference for solitude (PFS) increases with age, which may be a result of balancing the need for social affiliation and the need for autonomy and independence. These needs are shaped by the social-cultural contexts, and thus the growth rate of PFS may differ across social-cultural contexts.This study examined to what extent the developmental trajectory of PFS differed between urban and rural Chinese adolescents.

Methods

Adolescents in urban (n = 326,168 boys, Mage =12.00 years, SD = 0.61) and rural (n = 449, 198 boys, Mage =11.82 years, SD = 0.58) regions in China reported their PFS and shyness each year from Grade 6 to Grade 8. Longitudinal measurement invariance of PFS was established between the urban and rural samples. Location and gender differences in the intercept and the slope of PFS were examined using a latent growth model, while controlling for shyness at each time point.

Results

The analyses revealed that adolescents in both urban and rural regions showed an increasing trajectory of PFS. Although urban and rural adolescents did not differ in the initial level of PFS at Grade 6, urban adolescents' PFS increased faster than that of the rural adolescents. The urban-rural difference in the slope of PFS remained significant after controlling for the associations between the intercept and the slope of PFS and shyness at each time point. In addition, in the rural region, boys showed a faster increase of PFS than girls, yet gender differences in the initial level of PFS and the developmental trajectory in the urban region were nonsignificant.

Discussion

The findings reveal a normative increasing trend of PFS during early adolescence and faster increase for urban than rural adolescents. To promote adolescents' psychological well-being, parents, teachers and practitioners need to help adolescents establish a good balance between social interaction and solitude. When deciding what is a good balance, it is important to consider the social-cultural context.

Social avoidance and social adjustment in Chinese preschool migrant children: the moderating role of teacher-child relationships

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the moderating role of teacher-child relationships in the relations between social avoidance and social adjustment (i.e., prosocial behavior, peer exclusion, and anxious-fearful behavior) in Chinese migrant preschoolers.

Methods

Participants were 148 migrant children aged 4-6 years (82 boys, M_age = 62.32, SD = 6.67) attending kindergartens in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Mothers reported children's social avoidance, and teachers rated teacher-child relationships and children's social adjustment.

Results

Results indicated that social avoidance was positively related to peer exclusion and negatively related to prosocial behavior. Teacher-child relationships moderated those associations. Specifically, teacher-child closeness buffered the relationship between social avoidance and peer exclusion, whereas teacher-child conflict exacerbated the relations between social avoidance and peer exclusion and anxious-fearful behavior.

Conclusion

The current finding informs us of the importance of improving teacher-child closeness and reducing teacher-child conflict to buffer the negative adjustment among socially avoidant young children who migrated from rural-to-urban China. The findings also highlight the importance of considering the meaning and implication of social avoidance for migrant preschoolers in Chinese culture.

Contemporary Hermits: A Developmental Psychopathology Account of Extreme Social Withdrawal (Hikikomori) in Young People

Although it is widely accepted that human beings have an ingrained 'need to belong,' there seem to be a substantial subset of young people who seclude themselves for most of the time at home and no longer engage in education or work, ultimately withdrawing from participation in society. In Japan, this phenomenon has been labeled as 'hikikomori,' but given its global presence it may be preferable to use the term 'extreme social withdrawal' (ESW). In this qualitative review, we provide a description and definition of ESW, provide figures on its prevalence, and discuss a number of associated concepts, including loneliness and "aloneliness," school absenteeism and dropout, the 'new' developmental stage of adultolescence, and the labor force categories of freeter ('freelance arbeiter') and NEET (a young person not in employment, education, or training). The core of the paper is focused on the origins of ESW in young people and provides a narrative overview of relevant etiological factors, such as aberrant brain processes, unfavorable temperament, psychiatric conditions, adverse family processes including detrimental parenting, negative peer experiences, societal pressures, and excessive internet and digital media use, which are all placed within a comprehensive developmental psychopathology framework. We will close with a discussion of possible interventions for young people with ESW and formulate a guideline that describes (the temporal order of) various components that need to be included in such a treatment.

Theory of Mind and Young Children's Behaviour: Aggressive, Victimised, Prosocial, and Solitary

Theory of mind (ToM) undergoes significant developments during childhood, particularly between the ages of four and seven years. A growing body of research has indicated that children's social understanding may be related to their social behaviour with peers, in line with Theory Theory which proposes that children's social cognition is influenced by and influences their peer interactions. The current study examined the relationship between ToM and behaviour among 193 children aged 4-7 years. Children carried out a battery of ToM tasks, and teaching staff reported on children's aggressive, prosocial, and solitary behaviour and victimisation experiences. Aggression was not directly related to ToM; prosocial behaviour was positively associated with ToM for girls but not boys. Solitary behaviour and victimisation were negatively related to ToM. When this was broken down by gender, there was only a significant association between solitary behaviour and ToM for boys. When controlling for the relationship between behaviours, the only significant predictor of ToM was solitary behaviour for boys. ToM was also a significant predictor of solitary behaviour for boys, demonstrating that there is a bidirectional relationship at play. The findings highlight the importance of looking across these four behaviour types and understanding the relationship between behaviour profiles and ToM for boys and girls separately.

Social withdrawal and psychological well-being in later life: does marital status matter?

Objectives: Personality researchers have found that dispositional traits are typically stabile over the life course, but shyness is one trait that has rarely been examined in later life. Shyness as a global trait has been linked negatively to multiple psychological indices of childhood well-being, including loneliness. Despite the fact that older adults may already be at risk for experiencing heightened loneliness, regret, or decreased fulfillment, research has not assessed these experiences in relation to personality in later life. In the past few decades, research on social withdrawal has moved beyond treating shyness as a global trait and started to examine the multiple motivations behind socially withdrawn behavior.Method: Employing data from 309 older participants of the Huntsman Senior Games, the current study used regression analyses to examine the potential relations between three forms of withdrawal (shyness, avoidance, and unsociability) and loneliness, regret, and fulfillment in later life.Results and Conclusion: Results indicated that shyness, avoidance, and unsociability, respectively, were significantly associated with increased loneliness and regret, and decreased fulfillment. Further, marital status (married, divorced, widowed) moderated links between withdrawal and psychological indices of well-being in later life.

Two Models of the Development of Social Withdrawal and Social Anxiety in Childhood and Adolescence: Progress and Blind Spots

This commentary features a review of two recently reformulated models of the development of child and adolescent: (1) social withdrawal by Rubin and Chronis-Tuscano 2021, and (2) social anxiety by Spence and Rapee 2016. The articles that present these reformulated models now cover advances made during the prior 12 to 18 years of research, including increased knowledge of genetic vulnerability to anxiety and longitudinal patterns of development, and acknowledgement of multiple pathways towards and away from the development of social withdrawal or social anxiety (i.e., equifinality, multifinality). However, these reformulated models also contain several blind spots. The model of social withdrawal development would be improved by explicitly referring to peer treatment (not only attitudinal peer rejection), especially peer exclusion; and incorporating the potential development of clinically significant anxiety in childhood (not only adolescence) and delays in developmental milestones in adulthood. The model of social anxiety development would be improved by featuring social withdrawal as a proximal affective-behavioral profile (rather than a temperament) and drawing upon the literature on social withdrawal and its links to peer relations. Overall, there is a continuing lack of integration between developmental and clinical research and models of the development of social withdrawal and social anxiety.

Relationships between social withdrawal and facial emotion recognition in neuropsychiatric disorders

BACKGROUND

Emotion recognition constitutes a pivotal process of social cognition. It involves decoding social cues (e.g., facial expressions) to maximise social adjustment. Current theoretical models posit the relationship between social withdrawal factors (social disengagement, lack of social interactions and loneliness) and emotion decoding.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of social withdrawal in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) or probable Alzheimer's disease (AD), neuropsychiatric conditions associated with social dysfunction.

METHODS

A sample of 156 participants was recruited: schizophrenia patients (SZ; n = 53), Alzheimer's disease patients (AD; n = 46), and two age-matched control groups (SZc, n = 29; ADc, n = 28). All participants provided self-report measures of loneliness and social functioning, and completed a facial emotion detection task.

RESULTS

Neuropsychiatric patients (both groups) showed poorer performance in detecting both positive and negative emotions compared with their healthy counterparts (p < .01). Social withdrawal was associated with higher accuracy in negative emotion detection, across all groups. Additionally, neuropsychiatric patients with higher social withdrawal showed lower positive emotion misclassification.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings help to detail the similarities and differences in social function and facial emotion recognition in two disorders rarely studied in parallel, AD and SZ. Transdiagnostic patterns in these results suggest that social withdrawal is associated with heightened sensitivity to negative emotion expressions, potentially reflecting hypervigilance to social threat. Across the neuropsychiatric groups specifically, this hypervigilance associated with social withdrawal extended to positive emotion expressions, an emotional-cognitive bias that may impact social functioning in people with severe mental illness.

Quality over quantity: A transactional model of social withdrawal and friendship development in late adolescence

The aim of this study was to test a longitudinal, transactional model that describes how social withdrawal and friendship development are interrelated in late adolescence, and to investigate if post-secondary transitions are catalysts of change for highly withdrawn adolescents' friendships. Unilateral friendship data of 1,019 adolescents (61.3% female, 91% Dutch-origin) from the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) cohort were collected five times from ages 17 to 18 years. Social withdrawal was assessed at 16 and 19 years. The transactional model was tested within a Structural Equation Modeling framework, with intercepts and slopes of friendship quantity, quality, and stability as mediators and residential transitions, education transitions, and sex as moderators. The results confirmed the presence of a transactional relation between withdrawal and friendship quality. Whereas higher age 16 withdrawal predicted having fewer, lower-quality, and less-stable friendships, only having lower-quality friendships, in turn, predicted higher age 19 withdrawal, especially in girls. Residential transitions were catalysts of change for highly withdrawn youth's number of friends: higher withdrawal predicted a moderate increase in number of friends for adolescents who relocated, and no change for those who made an educational transition or did not transition. Taken together, these results indicate that the quality of friendships-over and above number of friends and the stability of those friendships-is particularly important for entrenching or diminishing withdrawal in late adolescence, and that relocating provides an opportunity for withdrawn late adolescents to expand their friendship networks.

Identifying Clusters of Adolescents Based on Their Daily-Life Social Withdrawal Experience

Social withdrawal is often presented as overall negative, with a focus on loneliness and peer exclusion. However, social withdrawal is also a part of normative adolescent development, which indicates that groups of adolescents potentially experience social withdrawal differently from one another. This study investigated whether different groups of adolescents experienced social withdrawal in daily life as positive versus negative, using experience sampling data from a large-scale study on mental health in general population adolescents aged 11 to 20 (n = 1913, M_Age = 13.8, SD_Age = 1.9, 63% female) from the Flemish region in Belgium. Two social withdrawal clusters were identified using model-based cluster analysis: one cluster characterized by high levels of positive affect and one cluster characterized by high levels of negative affect, loneliness and exclusion. Logistic regression showed that boys had 66% decreased odds of belonging to the negative cluster. These results show that daily-life social withdrawal experiences are heterogeneous in adolescence, which strengthens the view that, both in research and clinical practice, social withdrawal should not be seen as necessarily maladaptive.

Social impairment in relation to clinical symptoms in youth at high risk for bipolar disorder

AIM

Social impairment is common in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), although its role in youths at high-risk for BD (i.e., mood symptoms in the context of a family history of BD) is not well understood. Social impairment takes many forms including social withdrawal, relational aggression, physical aggression, and victimization. The aim of this study was to explore the links between social impairment and clinical symptoms in youth at high-risk for BD.

METHODS

The sample included 127 youths with elevations in mood symptoms (depression or hypomania) and at least one first and/or second degree relative with BD. Measures of youths' current psychopathology (i.e., depressive and manic severity, suicidality, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) were regressed onto youths' self-reports of social impairment (i.e., social withdrawal, relational aggression, physical aggression, and victimization).

RESULTS

Depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and anxiety symptoms were related to social withdrawal. Suicidal ideation was also related to reactive aggression. ADHD symptoms related to reactive and proactive aggression as well as relational victimization. Manic symptoms were not associated with social impairment in this sample.

CONCLUSIONS

Although cross-sectional, study findings point to potential treatment targets related to social functioning. Specifically, social withdrawal should be a target for treatment of childhood depressive and anxiety symptoms. Treatments that focus on social skills and cognitive functioning deficits associated with BD may also have clinical utility.

Risk Profiles of Korean Adolescents in Relations With Contextual Factors: Implications for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

INTRODUCTION

Although prior studies have supported the effectiveness of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) on addressing social, emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges faced by youth at-risk, educators using MTSS often do not consider contextual factors which may also influence youth at-risk and the interventions targeting them. This study thus aimed to identify youth at-risk who should be referred to targeted instructions within MTSS by examining the risk profiles of Korean adolescents. Based on the identified risk profiles, we also tried to investigate the effect of contextual factors on deciding youth at-risk and confirm whether and/or what contextual factors should be considered when implementing targeted interventions for them.

METHOD

To accomplish the research goal, a latent profile analysis on risk factors of Korean adolescents was performed, using the first year data of "Korean Children and Youth Panel Study (KCYPS) 2018."

RESULTS

Four risk profiles were identified, using low academic motivation, low academic behavior, attention deficit, aggression, social withdrawal, and depression as indicators: the high risk, M-SEB (Moderate-social, emotional, & behavioral) risk, M-ACA (Moderate-academic) risk, and low risk group. The covariates of this study, home and school environmental variables, worked as predictors of adolescents included in the high group.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest students in the high risk group (16.8%) should be given targeted instructions combining academic and SEB support within MTSS so as to prevent negative outcomes in the future among all adolescents. Those instructions need to be planned with consideration of contextual factors accompanied by teacher's careful understanding of social dynamics surrounding each student.

Revisiting the hypothesis that friends buffer against diminished self-esteem arising from poor quality parent-adolescent relationships: A replication study

This replication study revisited conclusions from 2 previous investigations (Gauze, Bukowski, Aquan-Assee, & Sippola, 1996; van Aken & Asendorpf, 1997), which suggested that support from friends buffers against diminished self-esteem arising from poor quality relationships with mothers during the transition into adolescence. The aim of this replication study was to conduct an independent test of these findings with both concurrent and longitudinal data. Concurrent data for replication analyses were drawn from 4 projects, involving a total of 959 boys and 1,119 girls (ages 10 to 14) from Canada and the United States. Three samples reported participant ethnic descent: Africa (12.1%), Asia (5.6%), Europe (65.3%), Latin America (12.1%), and Native North America (0.9%). Child and mother reports of mother-child relationship quality assayed (a) maternal social support (in 3 data sets), and (b) family cohesion and adaptability (in 2 data sets). Main effects were replicated but hypothesized buffering effects were not. Maternal social support and friend social support were independently associated with adolescent self-esteem, concurrently, but not longitudinally. Family cohesion (but not adaptability) was associated with adolescent self-esteem, concurrently and longitudinally. Friend social support did not moderate associations between mother-child relationship quality and adolescent self-esteem, concurrently or longitudinally. The findings are consistent with a cumulative effects model wherein friends uniquely contribute to adolescent self-worth, over and above the contribution of mothers. The findings do not support claims that friends moderate associations between mother-child relationship quality and adolescent self-esteem. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Relations Among Anxious Solitude, Peer Exclusion, and Maternal Overcontrol from 3rd Through 7th Grade: Peer Effects on Youth, Youth Evocative Effects on Mothering, and the Indirect Effect of Peers on Mothering via Youth

This study evaluated a transactional model of youth anxious solitude and peer and maternal relations from 3rd through 7th grade. Participants were 230 American youth (57% girls) selected for longitudinal study from a screening sample recruited from public schools (N = 688). Peers reported on anxious solitude and peer exclusion and youth reported on their mother's overcontrol annually. In an autoregressive cross-lagged panel analytic model peer exclusion predicted incremental increases in anxious solitude during elementary school and after the middle school transition. Additionally, anxious solitude evoked incremental increases in maternal overcontrol during elementary school. Finally, anxious solitude in 4th grade mediated the positive indirect relation between peer exclusion in 3rd grade and maternal overcontrol in 5th grade. These results suggests that peer relations can indirectly effect mothering via increased youth anxious solitude over time. Taken together, evidence supports a Transactional Model of anxious solitude development. Additionally, consistent with previous evidence, elevated youth anxious solitude at the end of elementary school in 5th grade predicted decreased peer exclusion after the middle school transition in 6th grade when youth experience a fresh start with peer relations. Nonetheless, youth (especially girls) demonstrated greater year-to-year stability in anxious solitude across the first two years of middle school than in the last three years of elementary school.

Perspectives on Social Withdrawal in Childhood: Past, Present, and Prospects

In this article, we provide definitional clarity for the construct of social withdrawal as it was originally construed, and review the original theoretical and conceptual bases that led to the first research program dedicated to the developmental study of social withdrawal (the Waterloo Longitudinal Project). We also describe correlates (e.g., social and social-cognitive incompetence), precursors (e.g., dispositional characteristics, parenting, insecure attachment), and consequences (e.g., peer rejection and victimization, negative self-regard, anxiety) of social withdrawal, and discuss how the study of this type of withdrawal led to a novel intervention that targets risk factors that predict social withdrawal and its negative consequences.

Children's shyness and neural responses to social exclusion: Patterns of midfrontal theta power usually not observed until adolescence

Adverse peer experiences, such as social exclusion, are known risks for socioemotional problems among shy youth. Yet, little is known about how shy children and adolescents process social exclusion in the brain and whether these responses are amplified in adolescence. Using the Cyberball task, we examined mediofrontal theta (4-7 Hz) event-related EEG spectral power during conditions of fair play and social exclusion in 122 participants (58 children, ages 10-12 years, and 64 adolescents, ages 14-17 years). Age effects of the task showed that adolescents displayed heightened theta power to both outright rejection and baseline "not my turn" events, whereas children showed higher theta power to rejection compared with "not my turn" events. Further results on individual differences showed that children with relatively higher levels of shyness displayed enhanced theta power to both rejection and "not my turn" events-a pattern that also was observed in adolescents. These findings suggest that a pattern of heightened neural sensitivity to both outright social exclusion and threats of exclusion, which is the norm by adolescence, also is observed in children with higher levels of shyness. The similar neural response pattern might be driven by salient social motivations that similarly modify the social cognition and behaviors of these groups and might reflect neural antecedents of rejection sensitivity.

Anxious Solitude, Reciprocated Friendships with Peers, and Maternal Overcontrol from Third through Seventh Grade: A Transactional Model

Guided by a Transactional Model of anxious solitude development, we tested friend and maternal influences on continuity and change in youth anxious solitude from 3rd through 7th grade, as well as the influence of youth anxious solitude on decreased friendship participation and increased maternal overcontrol over time. Participants were 230 American youth (57% girls) selected for longitudinal study from a public-school screening sample (n = 688). Peers reported on anxious solitude, both peers and youth reported on reciprocated friendship, and youth reported on their mother’s overcontrol annually. Stability and incremental change in youth, friend, and maternal factors were tested in an autoregressive cross-lagged panel analytic model. Having few mutual friendships predicted incremental increase in youth anxious solitude in mid-elementary school, then youth anxious solitude predicted the loss of friendships after the middle school transition. Additionally, youth anxious solitude in third grade evoked increased maternal overcontrol in fourth grade, but the reverse direction of effect was not supported. Youth’s participation in few friendships also evoked mothers’ overcontrol, which exacerbated their child’s loss of friendships in elementary school. Taken together, having few mutual friends contributed to youth anxious solitude and maternal overcontrol, and subsequently these factors further exacerbated youth’s loss of friendships.

Shyness and Psychological Maladjustment in Chinese Adolescents: Selection and Influence Processes in Friendship Networks

Few studies have been conducted to examine the role shyness plays in friendship selection and influences processes, particularly how befriending shy peers affects individual's psychological adjustment. To address these gaps, this study investigated the selection, de-selection, same behavior influence effects of shyness in the friendship network in Chinese adolescents using the longitudinal social network analysis. It also explored the possible pathways that transmit indirect influences of friends' shyness to individual's psychological maladjustments (i.e., loneliness and depressive symptoms). A sample of adolescents (N = 1254, 48.4% girls, M_age = 13.20 years at Time 1) were followed for three years in middle schools. The results showed that adolescents tended to befriend those who had similar shyness level during T1-T2 interval, but the friendships between shy friends were more likely to terminate during T2-T3 interval. Moreover, adolescents were found to become more similar with their friends in shyness over time. The study also found that friends' shyness at T1 would influence individual's loneliness at T3 via 1) increasing friends' loneliness at T2 or 2) increasing individual's shyness level at T2. Those two pathways, however, were not found for depressive symptoms. These findings indicate that shyness plays an important role in the friendship formation and dissolution and befriending shy peers may have implications for adolescents' development of shyness and loneliness.

The Role of Alexithymia in Social Withdrawal during Adolescence: A Case-Control Study

Although social withdrawal is becoming increasingly common among adolescents, there is still no consensus on its definition from the diagnostic and psychopathological standpoints. So far, research has focused mainly on social withdrawal as a symptom of specific diagnostic categories, such as depression, social phobia, or anxiety disorders, or in the setting of dependence or personality disorders. Few studies have dealt with social withdrawal in terms of its syndromic significance, also considering aspects of emotion control, such as alexithymia. The present case-control study aimed to further investigate the issue of social withdrawal, and try to clarify the part played by alexithymia in a sample of Italian adolescents diagnosed with psychological disorders (n = 80; Average Age_g = 15.2 years, SD = 1.49). Our patients with social withdrawal (cases) scored significantly higher than those without this type of behavior (controls) in every domain of alexithymia investigated, using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and with the scales in the Youth Self-Report (YSR) regarding internalizing problems, anxiety-depression, social problems, and total problems. Internalizing problems and total levels of alexithymia also emerged as predictors of social withdrawal. These variables may therefore precede and predispose adolescents to social withdrawal, while social problems may develop as a consequence of the latter.

Relationships Between Different Dimensions of Social Support and Suicidal Ideation in Young People with Major Depressive Disorder

BACKGROUND

Suicidal ideation (SI) is a common feature of depression and is closely associated with suicidal behaviour. Social support is implicated as an important determinant of suicide, but it is unclear how different social support dimensions influence SI in young people with depression. This study examines relationships between social support dimensions and SI in young people with major depressive disorder (MDD).

METHODS

283 Australians aged 15-25, diagnosed with MDD, were recruited from two clinical trials conducted in youth-specific outpatient mental health services. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was used to evaluate perceived support from Family, Friends, and a Significant Other. Suicidal ideation was assessed using the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ). Hierarchical regression was used to explore associations between social support and SI, controlling for demographics and depression severity.

RESULTS

A hierarchical regression model predicted 9% of the variability in SI, with depression severity being the most significant predictor. Family Support was inversely related to SI and uniquely contributed 2% of the variance; β = -0.15 (95% CI -0.27 - -0.02) p < .05. Demographics and support from Friends or a Significant Other were not significantly associated with SI.

LIMITATIONS

Findings are correlational; it cannot be determined that increasing family support would decrease SI severity.

CONCLUSION

Perceived Family Support was negatively associated with SI in young people with MDD. This suggests that family members might play important roles in suicide prevention efforts. More work is needed exploring ways to empower families to develop adaptive family functioning and support.

Multiple Trajectories in Anxious Solitary Youths: the Middle School Transition as a Turning Point in Development

This study aimed to identify divergent patterns of individual continuity and change in anxious solitude (AS) in the last half of elementary school (3rd - 5th grade) and the first two years of middle school (6th - 7th grade), and test predictors and outcomes of these pathways. Participants were 688 youths (girls n = 354, 51.5%; M age at outset = 8.66 years, SD = 0.50). Latent class growth analyses identified two AS trajectory classes in elementary school (moderate-decreasing, high-increasing) and three in middle school (low-stable, low-increasing, high-decreasing). The elementary school moderate-decreasing class was two-and-a-half times more likely than others to end in the middle school low-stable class. In contrast, the elementary school high-increasing class was twice as likely as others to end in the middle school low-increasing class, and four times as likely to end in the middle school high-decreasing class. Peer exclusion predicted membership in increasing AS trajectory classes in both elementary and middle school, whereas the middle school high-decreasing AS trajectory class demonstrated decreasing peer exclusion during middle school. Likewise, inability to defend oneself predicted membership in increasing AS trajectory classes in both elementary and middle school, whereas membership in the middle school high-decreasing AS trajectory class was predicted by inability to defend oneself in elementary but not middle school. High-decreasing AS youths' improved ability to defend themselves in middle school appeared to be related to a cascade of improvements in related domains. In contrast, membership in increasing AS classes in elementary and middle school predicted symptoms of social anxiety and depression.

A Dynamic Examination of the Associations between Shyness, Psychological Difficulties, and Stressful Life Events during Early Adolescence

Although numerous studies have established linkages between shyness and later psychological difficulties, most extant research did not examine variation in shyness over time in relation to variation in psychological difficulties over time or possible environmental factors of influence outside of the school context. The current study used multi-level modelling to simultaneously examine time-invariant and time-variant associations between shyness, the psychological difficulties of depressive symptoms and loneliness, and stressful life events at four waves across 1 year in a community sample of 271 young adolescents (51% boys; M_age = 11.83 years at W1). Results revealed significant time-variant and time-invariant effects when loneliness was examined as a predictor of shyness. In addition, a significant interaction effect indicated that shyness decreased over time for those young adolescents who experienced few stressful life events, highlighting an understudied moderator of risk. Overall, findings have important implications for understanding the psychological concomitants of shyness as well as etiological models of shyness.

Developmental Trajectories of Shyness-Sensitivity from Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence in China: Contributions of Peer Preference and Mutual Friendship

This study examined trajectories of shyness-sensitivity and the contributions of peer relationships to these trajectories in Chinese children. Participants were 1061 school-age children (537 boys), initially in fifth grade (M_age = 11 years), in China. Longitudinal data on shyness-sensitivity were collected from peer assessments once a year for four years. In addition, peer nomination data on peer acceptance-rejection and mutual friendship were collected in the initial study. Four distinct shyness-sensitivity trajectories were identified: Low-Stable, Low-Increasing, Moderate-Decreasing, and High-Stable. Children with high peer acceptance scores were more likely to be in the High-Stable and Moderate-Decreasing trajectories than in the Low-Stable and Low-Increasing trajectories. The analysis of predictors of the within-trajectory growth rate indicated that children who were more liked by peers increased their shyness-sensitivity more slowly within the Low-Increasing trajectory and that children with mutual friendship involvement decreased their shyness-sensitivity more slowly within the Moderate-Decreasing trajectory. The results suggested that positive relationships might serve to attenuate developmental changes of shyness-sensitivity within these trajectories. The results were discussed in the Chinese context.

Social Withdrawal and Anxiety in Childhood and Adolescence: Interaction between Individual Tendencies and Interpersonal Learning Mechanisms in Development : Introduction to the Special Issue

In this introduction to the special issue on Social Withdrawal and Anxiety in Childhood and Adolescence: Interaction Between Individual Tendencies and Interpersonal Learning Mechanisms in Development, we analyze conceptual models guiding the twelve studies featured herein. Findings from multiple investigations support Diathesis - Stress Models which emphasize the role of parent- or peer-related interpersonal stress in strengthening affective-behavioral or biological vulnerabilities (diatheses) to anxious solitude or social anxiety. Other investigations support only child vulnerability effects, consistent with a Diathesis-only Model, but such effects are often framed as potentially part of broader Diathesis-Stress or Child by Environment Transactional Models. Next we discuss novelty in development as defined as directional change in the progression of affective-behavioral patterns over time. Novelty in development is postulated in: 1) a Chronic Stress Model that proposes that interpersonal stress can generate or maintain social withdrawal and anxiety; 2) Stress Generation and Transactional Models that propose that child vulnerability can evoke interpersonal stress; and 3) an Ecological Transition Model that proposes that ecological transitions can serve as turning points prompting reorganization in the child-environment system which can result in the deflection of previous patterns of adjustment onto alternate trajectories. We also highlight additional themes from the set of studies found herein. These themes include the significance of gender and culture vis-à-vis the development of social withdrawal and anxiety. Other themes include motivations for social withdrawal; the influence of peer predictability on social withdrawal and brain function; and how the study of multiple developmental pathways has been supported by contemporary analytic techniques.

Frontal Brain Asymmetry and the Trajectory of Shyness Across the Early School Years

Although resting right frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry has been linked to avoidance and withdrawal-related behaviors such as shyness in previous cross-sectional studies, relatively little research has examined the influence of frontal brain electrical activity on the development of shyness in children using a prospective, longitudinal study design. Here, we tested whether resting frontal EEG asymmetry predicted the trajectory of children's shyness across five assessments. Children were enrolled in the study during the summer prior to grade 1 (N = 37; M_age = 6.39 years, S.D. = 0.15 years), at which time resting frontal EEG activity and maternal report of children's shyness were collected. Mothers then reported on their child's shyness over another four follow-up assessments, spanning 2 years (winter of grade 1, summer prior to grade 2 entry, winter of grade 2, and summer prior to grade 3). Growth curve analysis revealed that children displaying greater relative right frontal EEG activity had lower levels of shyness relative to children exhibiting greater relative left frontal EEG activity at study enrollment (i.e., age 6), but displayed statistically significant linear increases in shyness across time, with the highest levels of shyness by the summer prior to grade 3 (i.e., age 8). There was, however, no relation between left frontal EEG asymmetry and change in shyness across time. These preliminary findings suggest that right frontal EEG asymmetry may reflect a biological diathesis for the growth of shyness during the early school years.

Trajectories of Observed Shyness and Psychosocial Adjustment in Children

Shyness can manifest as inhibition, fear, and avoidance in the context of social novelty and situations of perceived social evaluation. In the present study, 130 children (M_age = 7.6 years, SD = 1.8) participated in a videotaped self-presentation task across three separate visits spanning approximately 3 years in early and middle childhood. Children's observed shyness was best characterized by two trajectories, including a high-stable class (19%) and a low-stable class (81%). Girls were more likely than boys to follow a pattern of high-stable observed shyness. Further, children in the high-stable observed shyness class were rated by parents and teachers as more socially anxious relative to children in the low-stable class, and boys in the high-stable observed shyness class were rated by their teachers as displaying more depressive symptoms relative to girls. These findings suggest that a subset of children display stable behavioral shyness, and this is correlated with psychosocial functioning.

Pathways From Childhood Sociomoral Sensitivity in Friendship, Insecurity, and Peer Rejection to Adult Friendship Quality

Across the life span, friendship is an important component of people's support networks. This article explores the developmental roots of adult friendship intimacy and satisfaction, taking into consideration the early interplay between sociomoral sensitivity in friendship, insecurity in peer contexts, and peer rejection. Data (N = 176) came from the longitudinal study "Individual Development and Social Structure." Respondents were surveyed repeatedly from age 7 to 37 years. Autoregressive cross-lagged panel models show that sociomoral sensitivity in friendship protects adolescents from peer rejection and is reciprocally associated with insecurity. Childhood and adolescent sociomoral sensitivity antecede early adult friendship intimacy, which, in turn, antecedes friendship satisfaction in mid-adulthood. The findings indicate a sequence of pathways from sociomoral sensitivity developed early in life to friendship quality in adulthood.

Friendship Quality in Adolescents With ADHD

Objective: This study compared the quality of friendships (same- and other-sex) in adolescents with and without ADHD, across age and gender. Method: A community sample of 115 participants (61 ADHD, 54 Comparison), ages 13 to 18, completed a questionnaire assessing perceived levels of social support and negative interactions experienced in their friendships. Results: Ratings of friendship social support diminished across age in youth with ADHD, but increased in typically developing youth. Adolescents with and without ADHD, however, did not differ on ratings of negative interactions experienced in their friendships. Compared with males, females rated their friendships to be more supportive, irrespective of ADHD status. Adolescents with and without ADHD rated their same-sex friendships to be simultaneously more supportive and more conflictual than their other-sex friendships. Conclusion: Assessments of adolescents with ADHD should include a careful examination of their social functioning with particular attention devoted to the quality of their friendships.

Co-Rumination Moderates the Relation between Emotional Competencies and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: a Longitudinal Examination

Research suggests co-rumination during adolescence has developmental tradeoffs that result in elevated self-disclosure and intimacy between friends but also can be associated with increases in depression (Rose et al. 2007; Rose 2002). The current study further examined this paradox by assessing the role of emotional competencies in co-rumination as they predict depressive symptoms over a 2-year period. We tested whether co-rumination moderated the relation between emotional awareness and emotion regulation and depressive symptoms in reciprocated best friend dyads. At Time 1, 202 adolescents (101 same-sex best friend dyads; M_age = 12.68, 52.5% girls, 76.6% White, middle-class) reported on their emotional competencies (i.e., emotional awareness and perceptions of their friend's anger and sadness regulation), and depressive symptoms as well as engaged in a discussion task where co-rumination was observed. Multilevel modeling (Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling) was used to account for similarity within friend dyads. The results indicated that when girls engaged in high levels of co-rumination, poor emotional awareness was related to greater depressive symptoms in their friend. Regarding the analyses of emotion regulation, at high levels of co-rumination, Friend A's perceptions of stronger anger regulation by Friend B predicted fewer depressive symptoms in Friend A. Stronger sadness regulation in Friend B at high levels of co-rumination predicted fewer depressive symptoms in Friend B. Our findings highlight the potentially adaptive nature of emotional competencies that may ameliorate the negative sequelae of co-rumination as adolescents are afforded the opportunity to discuss problems, better understand their emotions, skills that are then associated with fewer depressive symptoms over time.

Associations Between Callous-Unemotional Traits and Peer-Rated Social-Behavioral Outcomes in Elementary and Middle School

There is strong evidence that peers are of central importance to children's and adolescents' social and emotional adaptation and success in school. However, it remains an open question as to whether callous-unemotional (CU) traits, or interpersonal and affective deficits that pose risk for antisocial behaviors and psychopathy, are related to social-behavioral outcomes as assessed by those who are believed to have the most accurate perspectives on such outcomes - young adolescents' peers. Using data from a longitudinal and multi-method study of peer relations (N = 379, % female = 51.90, M_age = 10.24 at Time 1), the current study addressed this gap by examining the links between teacher-reports of CU traits and conduct problems (CP) and peer-reports of the extent to which young adolescents are aggressive, victimized, excluded, prosocial, and sociable during the Fall and Spring semesters in Grade 5 (Times 1and 2) and Grade 6 (Times 3 and 4). Results revealed that teacher-rated CP, but not CU traits, was associated positively with peer-reports of aggression. CU traits, but not CP, was associated positively with victimization/exclusion and associated negatively with prosociality. CU traits and CP demonstrated opposite relations with sociability, with CU traits demonstrating a negative association. Findings are discussed in the context of the broader literature examining the social-behavioral correlates of CU traits.

Mothers' distress exposure and children's withdrawn behavior - A moderating role for the Interferon Gamma gene (IFNG)

The dysregulation of the inflammatory response, including pro-inflammatory molecules, produces neuropsychiatric symptoms and depression-like behavior, including withdrawal from the physical and social environment. Genetic variants that enhance immune reactivity may thus increase inflammatory and withdrawn reactions to stress. Here we investigated a functional polymorphism of Interferon Gamma gene (IFNG +874 T > A, rs2430561) as moderator of the relationship between mothers' distress exposure and children's withdrawn behavior at preschool age. Participants were 198 Portuguese preschool children (mean age = 57.98 months). Exposure to mother's distress was assessed using the Brief Symptom Inventory, and withdrawn behavior with the Caregiver Teacher Report Form. All children provided saliva samples for genotyping. Contrary to expecations based on prior work, the rs2430561 AA genotype-not the T variant-interacted with (high levels of) mothers' distress exposure, to increase children's withdrawn behavior. No significant main effects were detected. The polymorphism in Interferon Gamma gene showed specific environmental stressor-dependent effects on withdrawn behavior during childhood, ones which are interpreted in light of the "behavioral immune system" hypothesis, and which proved inconsistent with diathesis-stress thinking.

A Revised Short Form of the Extended Class Play Among Italian Early Adolescents

Among the measures assessing peer reputation, the Extended Class Play (ECP) is now used extensively in North American settings. Little information is available in other cultural contexts. Furthermore, practical considerations suggest developing a shorter form of the ECP to be used in socio-educational environments. This study examined the ECP dimensions of peer assessment in Italy as well as developed a shorter form of the measure. We revised the ECP using factor analyses according to an explorative-confirmatory approach. The original 37-item ECP was shortened to a 22-item version and, subsequently, the properties of the revised measure were evaluated. We performed two studies comprising, respectively, 643 (55% male; 97% Italian; M_age = 12.20, SD = 0.60) and 652 (58% male; 94% Italian; M_age = 12.26, SD = 0.66) seventh-grade young adolescents living in southern and central Italy. Results revealed a clear and consistent seven-factor structure and acceptable levels of reliability and validity. Factors included constructs such as Shyness-Withdrawal, Prosociality-Leadership, Aggression, Popularity-Sociability, Victimization, Rejection-Exclusion, and Boastfulness. Correlations between the dimensions of the 22-item ECP and teacher ratings of young adolescents' behaviors further confirmed the validity of the solution. Findings suggest the importance of culturally revised measures of social reputation and indicate that the short form of the ECP has considerable promise to be considered a valuable measure to assess the multidimensional aspects of peer relationships.

Evaluating Links Among Shyness, Peer Relations, and Internalizing Problems in Chinese Young Adolescents

This study evaluates a model linking shyness, aspects of peer relations, and internalizing problems among young adolescents in the People's Republic of China. Participants were 547 young adolescents from Shanghai, China (46% boys; M_age  = 10.35 years, SD = 0.77 years) who completed peer nominations of shyness, rejection, and victimization, and self-report measures of loneliness, depression, and friendship support. Analyses demonstrated that peer difficulties (rejection, victimization) mediated the associations between shyness and internalizing problems. However, moderated mediation analyses revealed a protective effect for highly supportive friendships, especially for boys. Findings highlight the importance of considering different types of peer experiences in studies of shy young adolescents and are discussed in terms of importance to theory and intervention in China and elsewhere.

Somebody to Lean On: The Moderating Effect of Relationships on Links Between Social Withdrawal and Self-Worth

Previous research has discovered different subtypes of social withdrawal based on motivations to approach or avoid social interactions. Each of these motivations are uniquely related to indices of maladjustment during emerging adulthood, including aspects of the self. However, research has yet to investigate whether or not relationship quality moderates these associations. The purpose of this study was to examine whether relationship quality with best friends, romantic partners, mothers, and fathers, respectively, serve as protective factors in the negative links between shyness and avoidance and self-worth. The participants included 519 college students (Mage = 19.87, SD = 1.99, 61% female) from four universities across the United States. Results revealed that relationship quality with both best friends and romantic partners moderated the relation between shyness and self-worth. The differences between parent and peer relationships are discussed.

Social Withdrawal in Adolescence and Early Adulthood: Measurement Issues, Normative Development, and Distinct Trajectories

Social withdrawal during adolescence and early adulthood is particularly problematic due to the increasing importance of social interactions during these ages. Yet little is known about the changes, trajectories, or correlates of being withdrawn during this transition to adulthood. The purpose of this study was to examine the normative change and distinct trajectories of withdrawal in order to identify adolescents and early adults at greatest risk for maladjustment. Participants were from a Dutch population-based cohort study (Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey), including 1917 adolescents who were assessed at four waves from the age of 16 to 25 years. Five items from the Youth Self Report and Adult Self Report were found to be measurement invariant and used to assess longitudinal changes in social withdrawal. Overall, participants followed a U-shaped trajectory of social withdrawal, where withdrawal decreased from ages 16 to 19 years, remained stable from 19 to 22 years, and increased from 22 to 25 years. Furthermore, three distinct trajectory classes of withdrawal emerged: a low-stable group (71.8%), a high-decreasing group (12.0%), and a low-curvilinear group (16.2%). The three classes differed on: shyness, social affiliation, reduced social contact, anxiety, and antisocial behaviors. The high-decreasing group endorsed the highest social maladjustment, followed by the low-curvilinear group, and the low-stable group was highly adjusted. We discuss the potential contribution of the changing social network in influencing withdrawal levels, the distinct characteristics of each trajectory group, and future directions in the study of social withdrawal in adolescence and early adulthood.