The Influence of Shyness on Loneliness in a New Situation

Abstract

Subjects completed a trait-measure of shyness and a state-measure of loneliness at the start of a new semester (Time 1), and repeated the loneliness measure at the end of the semester (Time 2). Shy students had significantly higher loneliness scores than unshy students at Time 1. Both groups showed a decline in loneliness over the length of the semester, presumably due to habituation, but the shy students were still significantly lonelier than the unshy students at the end of the semester. These findings indicate that both social situations (such as the novel circumstances of a new semester) and personality dispositions (such as shyness) contribute to the amount of loneliness that an individual may experience.