Investigation of the relationship between early age incompatible schemas and social anxiety in adults

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of the schemas, which are expressed as molds in the minds of early childhood experiences and experiences of adults, on the social anxiety that individuals experience in their adult life. In addition, it is aimed to obtain information about the demographic characteristics of the participants through the Personal Information Form and to examine how these personal characteristics are related to early incompatible schemas and the level of social anxiety experienced. The sample of the study consisted of 187 individuals. This sample is composed of 120 female and 67 male individuals determined by random sampling method from three districts of Istanbul. The research was designed in accordance with the relational screening model. As the data collection tool, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Young Schema Scale and Personal Information Form were used for the research. In addition, "Independent Sampling T-Test", "One-way ANOVA", "Correlation Analysis" and "Multiple Regression Analysis" were used for the analysis of the data obtained. According to the findings obtained as a result of the research, it is seen that there are positive and medium-level significant relationships between the social anxiety and emotional inhibition, defectiveness and pessimism schemas based on the relationship results between the early maladaptive schemas and social anxiety levels of the participants. It is seen that there are positive and low-level significant relationships between social anxiety and social isolation/mistrust, vulnerability to harm, abandonment, failure to achieve, enmeshment/dependence, emotional deprivation, punitiveness, self-sacrifice, approval-seeking schemas. In addition, it is seen that there is a positive and low level of significant relationship between grandiosity/insufficient self-control schema and social anxiety. Results of the multiple linear regression indicated that emotional inhibition and negativity schemas were significant predictors in the model. A significant difference was determined between the punitiveness and unrelenting standards schemas and the genders of the participants. It was found that the mean punitiveness and unrelenting standarts scores of the males were higher than the mean scores of the female participants. No significant difference was found between the social anxiety and genders of the participants. A significant relationship was found between the enmeshment/dependence schema, one of the early maladaptive schemas, and the ages of the participants. No significant difference was found between the social anxiety scores and ages of the participants.In the discussion and interpretation section of the study, the results of the study are discussed in the light of related literature.