Investigation of the role of self-compassion, fear of positive evaluation, and self-critical rumination on social anxiety level in adults between 18-55 years of age

Many important factors play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of social anxiety in adults. Individuals who have a high level of social anxiety frequently focus on cognitively biased thoughts or evaluations that are related to internal and external cues; this attitude leads to a vicious circle by increasing social anxiety levels and depending on that revealing some mental health issues. Self-compassionate approach supporting psychological well-being has a positive and buffer effect on individuals who have some serious problems with social anxiety or social phobia. Many researchers support that self-compassion should be included in the process of treatment and intervention as connected to its protective role in mental health. In this context, researching self-critical rumination and the fears of evaluation which are presented as transdiagnostic factors should be addressed by considering their significance. The objective of this research based on these significant points is to examine the relationships between self-compassion, self-critical rumination, and the fear of positive evaluation with social anxiety. In this direction, the scales of related variables were applied to 399 adults who represented the age intervals of 18-55 and dwelled in the cities of Istanbul and Izmir of Turkey. Sociodemographic information form, self-compassion, social anxiety, self-critical rumination, and the fear of positive evaluation scale were used as the tools for collecting data in the research. The relationships between the variables were examined using Pearson Correlation Analysis. Additionally, One-Way ANOVA and independent sample t-tests were conducted to identify differences among all variables based on various demographic groups. The predictor variables for social anxiety were determined through multiple linear regression analysis. The analyses were continued with parametric statistical tests, which assume the normal distribution of the data. According to the findings obtained from the research, it was seen that there was a statistically significant negative relationship between self-compassion and social anxiety. On the contrary, a positive relationship was found between the fear of positive evaluation, self-critical rumination, and social anxiety level. Additionally, the predictor effects of self-compassion, the fear of positive evaluation, and self-critical rumination on the level of social anxiety were determined through the enter method of multiple regression analysis. All the variables examined in the research differed based on diverse factors. Specifically, social anxiety, the fear of positive evaluation, and self-critical ruminative thoughts, alongside self-judgment and isolation considered subdimensions of self-compassion were all significantly varied by gender. In addition, all variables significantly differed according to education and income levels; similarly other variables, except for self-kindness and over-identification, considerably differentiated among the different age groups. However, there wasn't a differentiation by their marital status (divorced, married, single) for all variables in this context. In conclusion, it is expected that the protective or buffer effect of self-compassion on social anxiety, which is emphasized by the research as well as given the relationships of these variables with other transdiagnostic factors, which are known as the fears of evaluation and self-critical rumination may importantly contribute into clinicians, researchers who are interested in experiential research designs, future clinical applications based on all the outcomes obtained from this research.