Experiences of bullying can have significant psychological consequences, including an increased risk of social anxiety. This study aimed to examine changes in social anxiety following Virtual Reality Social Exposure (VRSE) among bullying victims. A one-group pretest–posttest design without a control group was employed with 12 participants. The intervention consisted of three gradual exposure sessions in virtual environments representing social situations. Social anxiety was measured before and after the intervention, and the data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. The results indicated a statistically significant decrease in social anxiety scores following the intervention (p = 0.002), with a reported effect size of 0.974. These findings suggest that VRSE may be a promising approach for reducing social anxiety among bullying victims. However, the absence of a control group and the small sample size limit conclusions regarding its effectiveness and safety. Further studies with larger samples, control groups, and systematic safety assessments are needed.
Introduction This cross-sectional, exploratory study investigated the association between physical exercise (PE) and social anxiety (SA) among 862 left-behind adolescents in China. It examined emotion regulation abilities (ERA) and peer relationships (PR) as potential mediators and gender as a moderator in this association. Methods A cross-sectional exploratory design was adopted. Participants were 862 Chinese left-behind adolescents. Path analysis was used to test the hypothesized sequential mediation model and gender moderation effect. Results Path analysis revealed that PE was negatively associated with SA. Each separate path of the hypothesized sequential chain (PE → ERA, ERA → PR, PR → SA) was statistically significant, while the overall sequential mediation effect (PE → ERA → PR → SA) was non-significant (95% CI included zero). This indicated that the significant PE–ERA association had a small effect size and could not propagate fully through the chain to SA. The direct path from PE to PR was also non-significant. The data favoured independent mediation pathways rather than a sequential mediation process. Gender moderated the pathway: the positive PE–ERA association was significant for females but non-significant for males. Discussion The findings are hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory and require replication via longitudinal research. For vulnerable adolescents, PE may help build emotional competence, which contributes to improved peer bonds. Interventions could integrate emotion-regulation skill training into physical activity programmes, particularly targeting female adolescents. Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study, causal conclusions cannot be drawn.
Background School-aged children that experience social anxiety and have difficulty with interactions among peers can create significant challenges to their development in terms of both psychology and behavior. A team sport such as volleyball provides a common setting that naturally includes all aspects of social interaction (communication, cooperation, role coordination, etc.) and shared goals which is essential to improve the child’s confidence in interacting socially and abilities to interact socially with peers. Objective This research is an examination of the effect that a 12-week collective volleyball cooperative tactical training program will have on social anxiety and peer interaction in children (8–12). Methods A sample of 80 healthy school-age children was obtained via two methods of campus based, voluntary and/or open recruitment. These children were then randomly assigned to either an experimental intervention group ( n = 40) or an active control group receiving standard physical education ( n = 40). For 12 consecutive weeks, participants in the experimental group engaged in a type of volleyball cooperative tactical team training that occurred on 3 days each week at 1 h per day. During this time the participants in the control group engaged in standard physical education classes of matched frequency and duration. Social anxiety was measured by use of the Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC); SASC measures include total social anxiety, fear of negative evaluation and social avoidance/distress. Participant peer interaction was evaluated using a study-specific 25-item peer-interaction questionnaire covering interaction initiative, peer acceptance, interaction coordination, interaction openness, and conflict resolution ability. Data collection occurred prior to, as well as subsequent to, the intervention. Statistical analyses were conducted utilizing SPSS version 26.0 software. A 2 × 2 mixed-design ANOVA was conducted to examine Group × Time interaction effects, with group (intervention vs. control) as the between-subjects factor and time (pre-intervention vs. post-intervention) as the within-subject factor. Effect sizes were reported using partial eta squared ( η 2 p ), and post hoc comparisons were performed when significant interactions were identified. Results Group × Time Interaction Effects from a mixed-design ANOVA were found to be statistically significant for both of the outcomes (social anxiety and peer interaction) of this study. Children participating in an intervention that included an instructional program using the Collective Volleyball Cooperative Tactical Training Model showed significantly greater improvement than did those in the Control Condition in reducing their level of social anxiety as well as improving their peer interaction abilities over the course of the 12-weeks. Although we found a statistically-significant improvement in both children’s social anxiety, and their peer interaction skills through a 12-week program, there is no data available for us to understand if those positive results will continue into the future because we did not assess children at later points in time. Thus, future researchers are encouraged to consider extended assessment periods as part of their study designs to determine how long such interventions have an impact. Secondly, as a feasibility study in a controlled environment showed promise for implementation of cooperative tactical volleyball programs, there may be barriers to successful implementation in regular school settings such as lack of facilities, class size and teacher workload. Future research is needed to examine how cooperative tactical volleyball programs can be adapted to encompass large groups of students and incorporated into routine physical education curriculum. Furthermore, although the intervention showed feasibility under controlled conditions, implementation in regular school settings may face practical challenges, including limited facilities, larger class sizes, and teacher workload. Future studies should examine how cooperative volleyball tactical training can be adapted for broader school-based implementation. Conclusion Collective Volleyball Cooperative Tactical Training is an effective method for reducing social anxiety and improving the ability of school aged children to interact with peers. The program offers a viable, school-based model for integrating sport skills acquisition (training) and psychosocial growth through physical activity.
Social anxiety is a salient psychological concern among college students and is closely related to interpersonal adjustment and emotional well-being. This cross-sectional study examined the association between physical exercise and social anxiety among Chinese college students, focusing on the statistical indirect roles of body appreciation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy. A total of 1,869 students mainly from Henan Province, China, completed self-report measures of physical exercise, body appreciation, regulatory emotional self-efficacy, and social anxiety. Pearson correlation analysis and PROCESS Model 6 with 5,000 bootstrap samples were used to examine direct and indirect associations. Physical exercise was negatively associated with social anxiety and positively associated with body appreciation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Body appreciation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy were separately involved in significant indirect associations between physical exercise and social anxiety. A sequential statistical indirect association involving body appreciation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy was also observed. These findings suggest that positive body image and emotion-regulation beliefs are relevant psychological resources in the association between physical exercise and social anxiety. Given the cross-sectional design, the findings should be interpreted as statistical associations rather than evidence of temporal or causal ordering.
اضطراب اجتماعی یکی از نگرانیهای برجسته روانشناختی در میان دانشجویان دانشگاه است و ارتباط نزدیکی با سازگاری بینفردی و بهزیستی هیجانی دارد. این مطالعه مقطعی به بررسی ارتباط بین ورزش بدنی و اضطراب اجتماعی در میان دانشجویان دانشگاههای چین پرداخت و نقشهای غیرمستقیم آماری قدردانی از بدن و خودکارآمدی تنظیمی هیجانی را مورد توجه قرار داد. در مجموع ۱۸۶۹ دانشجو عمدتاً از استان هنان چین، مقیاسهای خودگزارشی ورزش بدنی، قدردانی از بدن، خودکارآمدی تنظیمی هیجانی و اضطراب اجتماعی را تکمیل کردند. برای بررسی ارتباطات مستقیم و غیرمستقیم، از تحلیل همبستگی پیرسون و مدل PROCESS شماره ۶ با ۵۰۰۰ نمونه بوتاسترپ استفاده شد. ورزش بدنی با اضطراب اجتماعی رابطه منفی و با قدردانی از بدن و خودکارآمدی تنظیمی هیجانی رابطه مثبت داشت. قدردانی از بدن و خودکارآمدی تنظیمی هیجانی به طور جداگانه در ارتباطات غیرمستقیم معنادار بین ورزش بدنی و اضطراب اجتماعی نقش داشتند. همچنین یک ارتباط غیرمستقیم آماری متوالی شامل قدردانی از بدن و خودکارآمدی تنظیمی هیجانی مشاهده شد. این یافتهها نشان میدهد که تصویر بدنی مثبت و باورهای مربوط به تنظیم هیجان منابع روانشناختی مرتبط در ارتباط بین ورزش بدنی و اضطراب اجتماعی هستند. با توجه به طرح مقطعی پژوهش، یافتهها باید به عنوان ارتباطات آماری تفسیر شوند و نه به عنوان شواهدی از ترتیب زمانی یا علی.
BACKGROUND: Maladaptive social beliefs play a pivotal role in the development and maintenance of social anxiety; however, existing measures have limited cultural adaptability for Chinese populations. Therefore, this study developed and validated the Beliefs in Social Anxiety Scale (BIAS), designed to assess maladaptive social beliefs among Chinese adolescents and adults. METHODS: Three studies were conducted to examine its psychometric properties using data from community samples of Chinese adolescents and adults. Study 1 employed a mixed-methods approach. Initial items were generated through semi-structured qualitative interviews with individuals reporting high levels of social anxiety (N = 34), defined as scoring ≥ 19 on the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). A larger quantitative sample (N = 1,087) was then used to explore the scale's factor structure and conduct preliminary validation of its psychometric properties. Study 2 (baseline: N = 769; 6-month follow-up: N = 503) validated the scale's properties longitudinally in adults. Study 3 (N = 1,017) assessed its applicability in adolescents in two high schools. RESULTS: Across studies, the BIAS showed a stable four-factor structure, including negative self-perception, perceived poor social skills, high estimated social cost, and high estimated visibility of physical symptoms. Confirmatory factor analyses supported this structure across samples, with acceptable-to-good fit indices (CFI = 0.926 to 0.968, TLI = 0.918 to 0.965, RMSEA = 0.042 to 0.077, SRMR = 0.036 to 0.046). Internal consistency was good to excellent (α/ω = 0.82 to 0.97), and the scale demonstrated convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity, as well as comparability across gender, time, and samples. CONCLUSIONS: The BIAS provides a culturally sensitive and psychometrically robust tool for assessing maladaptive social beliefs in Chinese community populations. It may facilitate the identification of culturally shaped belief patterns and inform the development of culturally adapted cognitive-behavioral interventions. Limitations include gender imbalance, mixed administration formats, use of community samples, and preliminary evidence for predictive validity based on a relatively small longitudinal subsample, highlighting the need for further validation in clinical and diverse populations. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
زمینه: باورهای ناسازگار اجتماعی نقش محوری در شکلگیری و تداوم اضطراب اجتماعی ایفا میکنند؛ با این حال، ابزارهای موجود از نظر سازگاری فرهنگی برای جمعیتهای چینی محدودیت دارند. بنابراین، این پژوهش به تدوین و اعتباریابی مقیاس باورها در اضطراب اجتماعی (BIAS) پرداخت که با هدف سنجش باورهای ناسازگار اجتماعی در میان نوجوانان و بزرگسالان چینی طراحی شده است. روشها: سه مطالعه به منظور بررسی ویژگیهای روانسنجی این مقیاس با استفاده از دادههای نمونههای جامعهنگر نوجوانان و بزرگسالان چینی انجام شد. در مطالعه اول از رویکرد ترکیبی استفاده شد. آیتمهای اولیه از طریق مصاحبههای نیمهساختاریافته کیفی با افرادی که سطوح بالای اضطراب اجتماعی را گزارش کردند (N = 34) و بر اساس کسب نمره ≥ 19 در پرسشنامه هراس اجتماعی (SPIN) تعریف شدند، تولید گردید. سپس نمونه کمی بزرگتر (N = 1,087) برای بررسی ساختار عاملی مقیاس و اعتبارسنجی مقدماتی ویژگیهای روانسنجی آن به کار رفت. مطالعه دوم (خط پایه: N = 769؛ پیگیری ششماهه: N = 503) ویژگیهای مقیاس را به صورت طولی در بزرگسالان اعتبارسنجی کرد. مطالعه سوم (N = 1,017) قابلیت کاربرد آن را در نوجوانان دو دبیرستان مورد ارزیابی قرار داد. یافتهها: در سراسر مطالعات، مقیاس BIAS ساختار چهار عاملی پایدار شامل ادراک منفی از خود، ادراک مهارتهای اجتماعی ضعیف، برآورد بالای هزینه اجتماعی و برآورد بالای دیدهشدن علائم جسمانی را نشان داد. تحلیلهای عاملی تأییدی این ساختار را در نمونههای مختلف تأیید کرد و شاخصهای برازش قابل قبول تا خوب (CFI = 0.926 تا 0.968، TLI = 0.918 تا 0.965، RMSEA = 0.042 تا 0.077، SRMR = 0.036 تا 0.046) به دست آمد. پایایی درونی در دامنه خوب تا عالی قرار داشت (α/ω = 0.82 تا 0.97) و مقیاس روایی همگرا، افتراقی و ملاکی را نشان داد و از نظر جنسیت، زمان و نمونهها قابل مقایسه بود. نتیجهگیری: مقیاس BIAS ابزاری حساس به فرهنگ و از نظر روانسنجی قوی برای سنجش باورهای ناسازگار اجتماعی در جمعیتهای جامعهنگر چینی فراهم میکند. این مقیاس میتواند به شناسایی الگوهای باور شکلگرفته توسط فرهنگ و توسعه مداخلات شناختی-رفتاری سازگار با فرهنگ کمک کند. محدودیتها شامل عدم توازن جنسیتی، فرمتهای مختلف اجرای آزمون، استفاده از نمونههای جامعهنگر و شواهد مقدماتی برای روایی پیشبین بر اساس زیرنمونه طولی نسبتاً کوچک است که لزوم اعتبارسنجی بیشتر در جمعیتهای بالینی و متنوع را برجسته میکند. شماره کارآزمایی بالینی: قابل کاربرد نیست.
BACKGROUND: Fear of negative evaluation (FNE) is widely regarded as a central cognitive component of social anxiety (SA). However, the strength and stability of the association between FNE and SA, as well as potential moderating factors, remain unclear. This study aimed to systematically synthesize existing evidence on the relationship between FNE and SA and to examine potential moderators. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024619488). A systematic search of major databases was conducted for studies published between January 2010 and April 2025. Eligible studies examined the association between FNE and SA. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. Random-effects models were used to estimate pooled effect sizes, with heterogeneity assessed using Q and I² statistics. Moderator analyses were conducted to explore sources of variability. RESULTS: A total of 143 studies comprising 146 independent samples (N = 80,285) were included. The pooled correlation between FNE and SA was r = 0.53 (95% CI: 0.50-0.55; I² = 88.62%), indicating a moderate positive association. Significant heterogeneity was observed across studies. Moderator analyses suggested that social anxiety measurement tools and cultural background were associated with variability in effect sizes, with stronger correlations observed in Western samples (r = 0.59) compared to Eastern samples (r = 0.52). In contrast, gender, age, publication year, and FNE measurement tools were not significant moderators. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings, and no evidence of substantial publication bias was detected. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis provides robust evidence for a moderate positive association between FNE and SA, suggesting that FNE is an important cognitive component of social anxiety. The strength of this association varies across cultural contexts and measurement approaches, highlighting the importance of contextual and methodological factors in shaping observed effects. However, the substantial heterogeneity and predominance of cross-sectional designs limit causal interpretation. Future longitudinal and cross-cultural studies are needed to clarify the developmental and contextual dynamics of this relationship.
زمینه: ترس از ارزیابی منفی (FNE) به طور گسترده به عنوان یکی از مؤلفههای شناختی مرکزی اضطراب اجتماعی (SA) شناخته میشود. با این حال، قدرت و پایداری ارتباط بین FNE و SA و همچنین عوامل تعدیلکننده احتمالی آن همچنان نامشخص است. هدف این مطالعه، ترکیب نظاممند شواهد موجود درباره رابطه بین FNE و SA و بررسی تعدیلکنندههای احتمالی بود. روشها: این مرور نظاممند و فراتحلیل بر اساس دستورالعملهای PRISMA 2020 انجام شد و در PROSPERO (CRD42024619488) ثبت گردید. جستجوی نظاممند در پایگاههای داده اصلی برای مطالعات منتشر شده بین ژانویه 2010 تا آوریل 2025 انجام شد. مطالعات واجد شرایط، ارتباط بین FNE و SA را بررسی کرده بودند. دو ارزیاب به طور مستقل انتخاب مطالعات، استخراج دادهها و ارزیابی کیفیت را انجام دادند. برای برآورد اندازه اثر تجمیعی از مدلهای اثرات تصادفی استفاده شد و ناهمگنی با استفاده از آمار Q و I² ارزیابی گردید. تحلیلهای تعدیلگر برای بررسی منابع تغییرپذیری انجام شد. نتایج: در مجموع 143 مطالعه شامل 146 نمونه مستقل (N = 80,285) وارد شدند. همبستگی تجمیعی بین FNE و SA برابر با r = 0.53 (95% CI: 0.50-0.55؛ I² = 88.62%) بود که نشاندهنده ارتباط مثبت متوسط است. ناهمگنی معناداری بین مطالعات مشاهده شد. تحلیلهای تعدیلگر نشان داد که ابزارهای سنجش اضطراب اجتماعی و زمینه فرهنگی با تغییرپذیری اندازه اثر مرتبط بودند، به طوری که همبستگی قویتری در نمونههای غربی (r = 0.59) نسبت به نمونههای شرقی (r = 0.52) مشاهده شد. در مقابل، جنسیت، سن، سال انتشار و ابزارهای سنجش FNE تعدیلگر معنادار نبودند. تحلیلهای حساسیت، استحکام یافتهها را تأیید کرد و شواهدی از سوگیری انتشار قابل توجه مشاهده نشد. نتیجهگیری: این فراتحلیل شواهد قوی برای ارتباط مثبت متوسط بین FNE و SA ارائه میدهد و نشان میدهد FNE یک مؤلفه شناختی مهم اضطراب اجتماعی است. قدرت این ارتباط در زمینههای فرهنگی و رویکردهای سنجش متفاوت است و اهمیت عوامل زمینهای و روششناختی را در شکلگیری آثار مشاهدهشده برجسته میکند. با این حال، ناهمگنی قابل توجه و غالب بودن طرحهای مقطعی، تفسیر علی را محدود میکند. مطالعات طولی و بینفرهنگی آینده برای روشن شدن پویاییهای رشدی و زمینهای این رابطه مورد نیاز است.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine anxiety as a statistical mediator of the association between childhood trauma and social competence among adolescents and young adults.It also aimed to examine whether the proposed model varies across adolescents and young adults. Methods:The study sample consisted of 300 participants, including adolescents (n=150) and young adults (n=150).Participants were recruited through purposive sampling from educational institutions and community settings in the Sargodha District.The age range of the patients was limited to 15-30 years.A cross-sectional survey design was employed.The translated versions of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and Social Competence Scale were used to assess anxiety, childhood trauma, and social competence, respectively.Maximum likelihood estimation in IBM SPSS Amos was used to test the proposed statistical mediation model. Results:The results indicated that childhood trauma was positively associated with anxiety and negatively associated with social competence among adolescents and young adults.Anxiety statistically mediated the association between childhood trauma and social competence, suggesting a significant but small indirect association rather than a causal pathway.Given the cross-sectional design, the findings should be interpreted as associations and not as evidence of temporal or causal relationships.Exploratory multigroup analyses suggested that structural associations may differ across age groups, with comparatively stronger associations observed among adolescents.However, because formal measurement invariance has not been established, these between-group differences should be interpreted with caution. Conclusion:The results highlight the importance of the early identification of trauma-related anxiety and the need for school-, university-, and community-based interventions that strengthen emotional regulation, coping skills, and social competence.
اهداف: هدف این پژوهش بررسی نقش اضطراب بهعنوان یک میانجیگر آماری در ارتباط بین تروماهای دوران کودکی و شایستگی اجتماعی در میان نوجوانان و بزرگسالان جوان بود. همچنین هدف دیگر پژوهش بررسی این بود که آیا مدل پیشنهادی در گروههای سنی نوجوانان و بزرگسالان جوان تفاوت دارد یا خیر. روشها: نمونه پژوهش شامل ۳۰۰ نفر شرکتکننده بود که از این میان ۱۵۰ نفر نوجوان و ۱۵۰ نفر بزرگسال جوان بودند. شرکتکنندگان با روش نمونهگیری هدفمند از مؤسسات آموزشی و محیطهای اجتماعی در منطقه Sargodha انتخاب شدند. دامنه سنی شرکتکنندگان بین ۱۵ تا ۳۰ سال محدود شد. طرح پژوهش بهصورت مقطعی و پیمایشی اجرا شد. نسخههای ترجمهشده مقیاس افسردگی، اضطراب و استرس، پرسشنامه تروماهای دوران کودکی و مقیاس شایستگی اجتماعی بهترتیب برای سنجش اضطراب، تروماهای دوران کودکی و شایستگی اجتماعی مورد استفاده قرار گرفتند. برای آزمون مدل آماری میانجیگری پیشنهادی، از روش برآورد بیشینه درستنمایی در نرمافزار IBM SPSS Amos استفاده شد. نتایج: نتایج نشان داد که تروماهای دوران کودکی با اضطراب رابطه مثبت و با شایستگی اجتماعی رابطه منفی دارد. اضطراب بهطور آماری ارتباط بین تروماهای دوران کودکی و شایستگی اجتماعی را میانجیگری میکند و این امر نشاندهنده وجود یک ارتباط غیرمستقیم معنادار اما کوچک است و نه یک مسیر علّی. با توجه به طرح مقطعی پژوهش، یافتهها باید بهعنوان روابط همبستگی تفسیر شوند و نه بهعنوان شواهدی برای روابط زمانی یا علّی. تحلیلهای اکتشافی چندگروهی نشان داد که روابط ساختاری ممکن است در گروههای سنی متفاوت باشد و این روابط در نوجوانان نسبتاً قویتر مشاهده شد. با این حال، از آنجا که ناهمسانی سنجش بهطور رسمی تأیید نشده است، این تفاوتهای بینگروهی باید با احتیاط تفسیر شوند. نتیجهگیری: نتایج بر اهمیت شناسایی زودهنگام اضطراب مرتبط با تروما و نیاز به مداخلات مبتنی بر مدرسه، دانشگاه و جامعه که به تقویت تنظیم هیجانی، مهارتهای مقابلهای و شایستگی اجتماعی میپردازند، تأکید دارد.
