Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department/Program

Psychology

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Erin Kang

Committee Member

Samantha Coyle

Committee Member

Evan McCracken

Abstract

Background: Social relationships and social interactions are vital for developing children and youth as it is important for their development such as social skills and communications. Social supports create social and emotional support for individuals and provide resilience against mental health issues and other difficult situations. Interpersonal relationships help more positive outcomes during childhood and adolescence and into adulthood. Social anxiety is a mental health condition in which individuals fear what others think of them and can prevent interpersonal relationships from happening or having positive experiences. Youth who experience social anxiety are more likely to have poor quality interpersonal relationships and ineffective interactions with new and familiar peers. The current study examined how social anxiety impacts positive social interactions with novel peers, and how the experience of being bullied plays a role in this relationship. Methods: A total of 148 participants (36 females, 112 males) participated in this study. Positive social behaviors were quantified by blinded observers using a three-part paradigm consisting of interacting with unfamiliar peers (1) in a minimally structured setting, a pizza party (i.e. pizza is laid out in the room with participants sitting at the table), (2) an activity with a physical component, and (3) an activity with a verbal component. Participants also completed self-report measures regarding social anxiety, bullying, and social interactions. Results: While social anxiety did not relate to positive social interactions overall, more endorsement of bullying was positively correlated with social interactions. Mediation analyses suggested there is an indirect effect of bullying on the relationship between social anxiety and positive social interactions. Conclusion: The findings provide insights into the unexpected role of bullying in social interactions with novel peers across neurodiverse youth who may also be experiencing social anxiety.

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