Poster #134 - Children’s Shyness, Emotional Intelligence, and Internalizing Behaviors

• In Event: Poster Session 09

Abstract

Although previous studies have shown shyness is a risk factor for internalizing behaviors (Bosacki et al., 2011; Rubin et al., 2006), not all shy children are affected to the same extent, suggesting possible moderating factors on this relation. It is possible that emotional intelligence (EI) may be one factor that is protective against internalizing problems for shy children. EI is a socio-cognitive skill that helps individuals understand and use their emotions and the emotions of others to achieve goals (Mayer & Salovey, 1993). Previous research has found that EI is associated with adaptive psychological functioning, including lower levels of internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety and depression) (Hafsa et al., 2021). The purpose of the present study was to examine whether EI moderated the relation between children’s shyness and internalizing behaviors. Participants were 115 school-aged children (Mage = 8.84 years, SD = 0.44 years, 68 girls). Parents completed online questionnaires related to the child’s EI, shyness, and internalizing behaviors. Using a linear regression, we found that EI moderated the relation between shyness and internalizing behaviors. Specifically, shyness was positively related to internalizing behaviors for children with low EI (p < .001), but unrelated among children with high EI (p > .05; see Figure 1). Shy children with high EI may manifest heightened social skills that allow them to build positive peer relationships which may help protect against some internalizing related symptoms. Taken together, our findings suggest that EI may play a protective role against internalizing behaviors for some shy children in middle childhood and may be a skill that should be promoted among shy children.

Authors

• Soyoung Jung, McMaster University
  Presenting Author

• Kristie Poole, Brock University

• Louis A. Schmidt, McMaster University