Shyness, friendship quality, and adjustment during middle childhood

Whereas many young children show initial wariness on meeting a stranger, sh yness that lasts into middle childhood may be indicative of concurrent prob lems and subsequent disorder. Adjustment problems of an internalising natur e, such as low self-esteem, loneliness, and anxiety may occur. Special sign ificance has, however, been ascribed to preadolescent friendships as a mean s of validating self-worth and buffering against loneliness and anxiety. Th e main aim of the present study is to examine associations between shyness, perceptions of friendship quality, and indices of adjustment related to in ternalising problems. The study involves a sample of 8.4-10.6-year-olds (N = 50), preselected at 4.5 years to include a high proportion of shy children. Ratings of shyness to an unfamiliar adult had been made by different observers at 4.5 and 7 ye ars, and at the present ages by another observer, mothers, and leachers. Ob server-rated shyness was highly consistent over time and was significantly correlated with mothers' and teachers' ratings, although both significantly underestimated children's shyness relative to observer ratings. Compared w ith the younger children (mean age of 9 years), observed shyness (a composi te over all three age points) increased in salience for the older children (mean age of 10 years), becoming significantly correlated with trait anxiet y as well as low global self-worth. Indeed, global self-worth took on a cen tral role for the older children, showing significant correlations not only with observed shyness and internalising problems (loneliness and anxiety), but also with perceptions of social acceptance and classmate support as we ll as friendship quality, with a named "best friend". Thus by 10 years of a ge, aspects of peer relationships may influence and be influenced by global self-worth, with a possible buffering effect on any potential detrimental effects of shyness.