Worrying Alone: Shyness as the Bridge Between Anxious Thought and Solitude

Author(s): Kaiwei Bai

DOI: https://doi.org/10.65030/idr.23004

Abstract: Worry, shyness, and preference for solitude represent interconnected facets of emotional and social functioning. This study examined whether shyness mediates the relationship between worry and the motivation to spend time alone. A sample of 150 adults completed the Worry Domains Questionnaire, the Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale, and the Preference for Solitude Scale. Results revealed that worry predicted higher shyness, which in turn predicted greater preference for solitude, whereas the direct path from worry to solitude was nonsignificant. Mediation remained robust when controlling age and gender. Exploratory analyses indicated that confidence- and future-oriented worry were most strongly associated with shyness while future and relationship worry were most associated with solitude. These findings highlight shyness as a key psychological mechanism linking cognitive vulnerability to social withdrawal tendencies. Implications for understanding adaptive versus avoidant solitude within individual differences research are discussed.

Keywords: Worry; Shyness; Solitude; Social withdrawal; Individual differences; Mediation; Social anxiety

Published: October 4, 2025 

Article: e23004

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