Modern Psychological Studies
Volume
30
Number
1
Publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Place of Publication
Chattanooga (Tenn.)
Date
2024
Abstract
Social interaction is important for human health and happiness, yet it may be in decline. In this study, we examined traits related to whether individuals interact with one another. A structured lab observation was used to determine if participants would interact with a confederate. We also measured their Need for Cognitive Closure (NFCC), Social Anxiety (SA), Intolerance for Uncertainty (IU), and the Big Five personality traits, and examined the relationship between these factors and preferred physical distance from the stranger. Only 20% of all participants interacted with a confederate. Predictors of social interaction included higher scores in the Big Five personality trait of openness and lower IU scores. No factors were related to physical distance preference. NFCC, SA, and IU were all positively correlated. Overall, it seems that less fear of the unknown was one of the biggest factors involved in interaction with a stranger. We suggest that therapies for those with social anxiety that focus on eliminating fear of ambiguity may have more success, resulting in decreased loneliness and improved well-being.
Discipline
Psychology
Document Type
article
DCMI Type
Text
Language
English
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Recommended Citation
Sego, Anthony and Adam, Aimee
(2024)
"Ambiguous situations make me anxious: Personality traits and initiating social interaction,"
Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 30:
No.
1, Article 12.
Available at:
https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol30/iss1/12
Department
Dept. of Psychology