Date of Graduation

2005

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

Committee Chair

Tracy L. Morris

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between parental control and parental proximity as they influence social anxiety in young adults. Previous research has consistently demonstrated the positive relationship between parental control and social anxiety. However, studies that have examined the desirability of continued parental attachment (proximity) have resulted in a contradictory body of literature. It was hypothesized that two interaction terms, mother protection by mother proximity and father protection by father proximity, would significantly predict participants’ self-reported level of social anxiety after controlling for mother and father parenting variables. Specifically, it was hypothesized that among participants with parents high on parental control, participants with high parental proximity would endorse greater social anxiety than participants with low parental proximity. Conversely, it was hypothesized that among participants with parents low on parental control, participants with high parental proximity would endorse less social anxiety than participants with low parental proximity. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to investigate these hypotheses. Four hundred undergraduate students at West Virginia University participated in this study. Findings partially supported the proposed hypotheses. Findings suggest that among students with controlling parents, lower parental proximity is associated with lower social anxiety. In addition, the subscales of the SociotropyAutonomy Scale were found to significantly predict participants’ level of social anxiety after controlling for mother and father parenting variables. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

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