Role of Shyness and Perceived Social Support in Self Disclosure Among University Students

Abstract

The present study investigated the role of shyness and perceived social support in self disclosure among university students. Moreover the role of various demographics was also explored in relation to the study variables such as gender, family monthly income and parental education. Shyness Questionnaire (Henderson & Zimbardo, 2010), Perceived Social Support Scale (Gul & Najam, 2008) and Self Disclosure Scale (Magno, Cuason, & Figueroa, 2008) were used to measure shyness, perceived social support and self disclosure respectively. The sample consisted of 380 university students including both men and women within age range of 18 to 30 years. Sample was collected from both public and private sector universities of Islamabad. The results showed that there was a significant negative relationship of shyness with self disclosure and perceived social support. Self disclosure had significant positive relationship with perceived social support. Moderating effect of perceived social support had not been supported. The results showed that there were significant gender differences on shyness, perceived social support and self disclosure. Male university students were found to be high on perceived social support and self disclosure while they were low on shyness as compared to female students. The results also showed significant differences in the shyness and perceived social support among the three family income groups. University students belonging to low income group were found to be high on shyness and low on perceived social support as compared to the students belonging to other high income groups while non significant findings had been observed on self disclosure among the students belonging to the three income groups. Maternal education had been found to have significant effects on the shyness and perceived social support of the university students, as students having highly educated mothers were postgraduate were high on perceived social support and less on shyness as compared to the other students having less educated mothers. The paternal education had significant effects on the self disclosure and perceived social support of the students. The students having high paternal education were high on both self disclosure and perceived social support while non significant findings were found on shyness. Future implications of the study were also discussed.