Individual Differences Research

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Individual Differences Research > Volume 23 (2025) > e23004

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

Kaiwei Bai

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.

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Published

October 17, 2025

Keywords 

Worry;

Shyness;

Solitude;

Social withdrawal;

Individual differences;

Mediation;

Social anxiety