The Concept of Social Anxiety - Essay Example

Social anxiety is one of the disorders that have derailed the development of many young people. Many studies have been carried out to determine ways in managing this disorder. This paper tries to ascertain the linear relationship that exist between social anxiety and other factors such as age, gender, own relationship, friends, social media, grade number, grade score, rural/urban background, number of siblings and parent relationship status. The study revealed that not all these factors have linear relationship with social anxiety score. Some factors affected social anxiety in a negative way while others influenced social anxiety in a positive way. The data was collected from a group of 300 students with the resultant being recorded and analyzed through SPSS and other statistical tools for data analysis. Open questionnaire and survey was used to collect data. The result was then represented in tables after proper analysis. INTRODUCTION Social anxiety is a fear or discomfort when an individual is in social interactions areas that involve a concern about being judged or evaluated by other people (Hope et al., 2010). Social anxiety is basically characterized by an absolute fear of what others are thinking about them-especially fear of criticism, embarrassment, or rejection- which results in the person feeling insecure, and that they are not important enough to be with others. The outcome of this is anxiety and fear within social situations, and the suppositions that peers will automatically reject them in the social situation. According to Hofmann, & DiBartolo (2010), the fear of social anxiety can be worsened by lack of social experience or skills in social situations. The anxiety therefore develops into a panic attack. Consequently, the individual endures some social situations in extreme distress or may avoid them altogether. Additionally, individuals suffering from this kind of disorder sometimes suffer anticipatory anxiety for days or weeks before the event. In numerous situations, the individual is aware that the fear is unreasonable, yet is unable to triumph over it. Several studies have been developed towards determining factors that influence social anxiety. However, the exact causes of social anxiety are still in contention. Ongoing research on the generic roots of mental and physical health indicates that the tendency toward social anxiety as a mandate probability of inheritance. According to the US National Co-morbidity Survey, this disorder has a 12-month prevalence rate of 6.8%. This makes social anxiety the third most common mental disorder in the world. The study revealed that the disorder can occur at anytime but most often in early adulthood, early childhood or even in adolescent. Statistics show that social anxiety is more common in women as compared to men. Studies reveal that social media, friends, grade number all have a negative relationship with social anxiety (Marshall & Lipsett, 1994). That is, they tend to reduce the level of social anxiety among students. Students that have bad relationships with their parents tend to suffer from social anxiety as they have low self-esteemed as opposed to those with good relationship with their parents. Marshall & Lipsett, (1994) argues that if a student has higher grade, from urban background and have many siblings; then it is likely that the level of social anxiety will be low. Nervous system and life experience are also other potential causes of social anxiety (Hope et al., 2010). Several studies suggest that it is difficult to treat social anxiety but suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be used as a better way to handle social anxiety (Hofmann, & DiBartolo, 2010). Having discussed about social anxiety, it time to focus on the aim of this study. This paper is basically a report to measure social anxiety among students. It aims at determining factors that influence social anxiety among students (young people). This study is important as it tries to understand what actually causes social society among adults and how this disorder can be managed among the students OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The main objective of the study is to determine the linear relationship that exist between social anxiety and other factors such as age, gender, own relationship, friends, social media, grade number, grade score, rural/urban background, number of siblings and parent relationship status. It aimed at determining how these factors affect social anxiety score among students. HYPOTHESIS Ho: age, gender, own relationship, friends, social media, grade number, grade score, rural/urban background, number of siblings and parent relationship status; does affect the social anxiety score. Ha: Ho: age, gender, own relationship, friends, social media, grade number, grade score, rural/urban background, number of siblings and parent relationship status; does not affect the social anxiety score THE MODEL The linear model used in the study is: Y= A+ X1 + X2+ X3+ X4+ X5+ X6+ X7+ X8+ X9+ X10+ e Where: Y=social anxiety A= constant, X1=age, X2=gender, X3=own relationship, X4=friends, X5=social media, X6=grade number, X7=rural/urban background, X8=number of siblings, X9=parent relationship, X10=parent relationship status, e=error term ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY Studies that have been carried out to determine the relationship between social anxiety and these factors have resulted on different relationship that these variables exhibit with regards to social anxiety. The studies have generalized a sample to a population. In this case the sample of the study is 300 students. Assumptions are vital concept of empirical studies. Just like any other empirical study, this study applies some statistical assumptions in order to achieve the much needed results. These assumptions include: The mean difference is zero The data is normally distributed The variance of the two variables are equal (homoscedasticity METHODOLOGIES Design: The design is also suitable because it gives an in-depth description of the phenomena in their existing setting. Research design is considered as a "blueprint" for research, dealing with at least four problems: which questions to study, which data are relevant, what data to collect, and how to analyze the results (Lewis-Beck, 1997). The best design depends on the research question as well as the orientation of the researcher. The study has adopted adopt descriptive survey as a method of collecting information by using a standardized form of interview schedule and administering a questionnaire to a sample of 300 students. The main method for analyzing data is through SPSS. The output data is represented through data presentation methods such as tables and charts. Variables: Since it is a quantitative research, this proposed study has both dependent and independent variables. The independent variables of the study are age, gender, own relationship, friends, social media, grade number, grade score, rural/urban background, number of siblings and parent relationship status; while the dependent variable is social anxiety. Population: The main objective of the study is to determine the linear relationship that exist between social anxiety and other factors such as age, gender, own relationship, friends, social media, grade number, grade score, rural/urban background, number of siblings and parent relationship status. The researcher carried out 30 questions on a questionnaire survey to determine the social anxiety score among students. The target population of the study is students which represent young people. 300 participants were interviewed during the study. For preciseness, the respondents were divided according to various age groups and sex. This helped spread the responses and the opportunity to identify interesting differences. Data Analysis Methods: Quantitative data analysis was done to generate frequencies percentages. The resulting quantitative data was then interpreted using simple statistical method. The questionnaire was coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Linear regression was used to generate the much needed results from the SPSS data source. The data collected through questionnaire was classified on the basis of common attributes then tallied to obtain statistical frequencies, tabulated and finally analyzed using descriptive statistics. According to Kothari (2005), this helped to collapse large volume of quantitative data in numerical form for ease of statistical interpretation. Frequency and distribution tables, graphs and diagrams are integral during the process of data analysis. Comparative analyses are used to outline the characteristics of the leading attributes within the variables under discussion. The hypotheses formulated for this study will be tested using logistic regression model. RESULTS The results are shown in the SPSS output file. The descriptive statistics shows that mean and standard deviation for social anxiety are 47.2278 and 23.75877 respectively. The correlation table is summarized below: Social anxiety score Gender Age Own relationships N. of friends Social media No. of grades listed Grade score Rural/urban No. of siblings Parent relationship Social anxiety 1.000 0.140 0.095 -0.008 -0.039 0.108 0.025 0.000 0.003 0.004 -0.042 Regression output Coefficients Model Coefficients Constant 43.040 Gender 5.995 Age 0.17 Own relationship 0.328 N0.of close friends -0.055 Social media 0.21 N0. Of grades listed 0.815 Grade score -0.102 Rural/urban background -0.837 Number of siblings 0.292 Parent relationship -2.515 From the above table we can formulate the regression line using our model. Thereby regression line becomes: Y= 43.040+ 5.995X1 +0.17 X2+0.328 X3-0.055X4+ 0.21X5+ 0.815X6-0.102X7-0.837 X8+ 0.292X9-2.515X10+ e From the ANOVA Model Sum of squares Df Mean square F Sig. Regression Residual 8600.387 1811629.1 10 327 860.039 555.441 1.548 0.121 Hypothesis testing Ho: age, gender, own relationship, friends, social media, grade number, grade score, rural/urban background, number of siblings and parent relationship status; does affect the social anxiety score. Ha: Ho: age, gender, own relationship, friends, social media, grade number, grade score, rural/urban background, number of siblings and parent relationship status; does not affect the social anxiety score. The one way Anova gives a p-value of 0.121. The study uses 95% confidence interval that means the significance level is 0.05. The P-value (0.00)> significance level (0.05): therefore we accept the null hypothesis that age, gender, own relationship, friends, social media, grade number, grade score, rural/urban background, number of siblings and parent relationship status; does affect the social anxiety score. DISCUSSION Clinicians, behavioral geneticists, and social and development psychologists have all conducted research over the past years which are critical in furthering people’s understanding of and treatment of social anxiety disorders. If clinicians and researchers are to combat this disorder successfully, then the literature must wholly integrate studies in social anxiety. In the quest to determine the relationship between social anxiety and other factors among students, this study gave a very interesting results. The hypothesis testing suggest that factors such as age, gender, own relationship, friends, social media, grade number, grade score, rural/urban background, number of siblings and parent relationship status; does affect the social anxiety score. This is in line with numerous studies as discussed in the introduction. However, there are mixed results when using the regression and correlation coefficients. Regression: Y= 43.040+ 5.995X1 +0.17 X2+0.328 X3-0.055X4+ 0.21X5+ 0.815X6-0.102X7-0.837 X8+ 0.292X9-2.515X10+ e Where: Y=social anxiety A= constant, X1=age, X2=gender, X3=own relationship, X4=friends, X5=social media, X6=grade number, X7=rural/urban background, X8=number of siblings, X9=parent relationship, X10=parent relationship status, e=error term The constant is 43.040 which mean that holding all factors constant, then social anxiety score is 43.040. Gender, age, and own relationship, friends, social media, grade number and parent relationship all have a positive coefficient. That leads to the conclusion that an increase in either of the factors by one unit will increase social anxiety score by; 5.995, 0.17, 0.328, 0.21, 0.815, 0.292 respectively. These are very interesting results because the literature review states otherwise. It was expected that these factors will actually reduce the level of social anxiety in individuals. However, the contradiction in the results can be explained by other factors such as biasness in the data collection, culture and many others. On the other hand; friends, rural/urban background, parent relationship exhibit a negative relationship with social anxiety. This means that an increase by one unit will reduce the amount of social anxiety score by a factor similar to the coefficient of either of the variables. The correlation results show that there is positive correlation (weak +ve) between social anxiety score and gender, age, social media, number of grade, grade score, rural/urban score, number of siblings and parent relationship. While on the other hand; number of friends and own relationship both exhibit negative correlation with anxiety score. Going by the hypothesis it is clear that there are many factors that determine the level of anxiety among students. The environment at which a student is brought up and the level that he/she is currently in determine how she/he will deal with this disorder. From the results, some factors are beyond the student’s ability hence it takes the intervention of parents or the society as a whole to help the students manage this disorder. Social anxiety does not affect young people only but even adults in the different sex. This makes a very serious problem that needs to be dealt with amicably. Therefore more similar studies are vital to help manage this disorder. Even though the study was faced with a lot of limitations, its contribution towards social anxiety is of great importance in managing this disorder. Rererences Hofmann, S. G., & DiBartolo, P. M. (2010). Social anxiety: Clinical, developmental, and social perspectives. Amsterdam: Academic Press/Elsevier. Hope, D. A., Heimberg, R. G., & Turk, C. L. (2010). Managing social anxiety: A cognitive-behavioral therapy approach : therapist guide. New York: Oxford University Press. Kothari, C. R. (2005). Research methodology: methods & techniques. New Delhi, New Age International (P) Ltd. Lewis-Beck, M. S. (1997). Data analysis: an introduction. Thousand Oaks [u.a.], Sage. Marshall, J. R., & Lipsett, S. (1994). Social phobia: From shyness to stage fright. New York: BasicBooks. Read More