Shyness

Anxiety and inhibition in social situations, typically involving feelings of emotional arousal and specific physiological experiences (e.g., pounding heart, sweating, blushing); acute public self-consciousness, self-deprecation, and worries about being evaluated negatively by others; and (c) observable behavior such as quietness, gaze aversion, and social withdrawal.

Adapted from the APA Dictionary of Psychology

Resources from APA

Students Experiencing Low Self-compassion or Low Perceptions of Competence

Teachers can help students who are not confident in themselves build their feelings of confidence

Why are some kids shy?

Koraly Pérez-Edgar, PhD, talks about temperament in young children and how shyness develops from babyhood on

Why you should talk to strangers

Gillian Sandstrom, PhD, and Jon Levy talk about how talking to strangers and acquaintances can strengthen our mental health and enrich our lives

Philip Zimbardo on heroism, shyness, and the Stanford Prison Experiment

Philip Zimbardo, PhD, discusses recent criticism of his controversial 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment as well as his other work on time, shyness, men, and heroism

More resources about shyness