Shyness and Social Anxiety
11There also may be differences in the types of social situations that men and women 
fear. One study found that men with social anxiety disorder were more fearful than 
women of urinating in public bathrooms and returning items to stores, whereas women 
with social anxiety disorder were more fearful than men of situations such as talking to 
people in authority, public speaking, being the center of attention, expressing disagree -
ment, and throwing a party (Turk et al. 1998).
Cultural Differences
It is challenging to measure social anxiety across cultures because signs of social 
anxiety in one culture may have a very different meaning in another culture. For example, 
whereas some cultures may view poor eye contact as a sign of shyness or social anxiety, 
other cultures often avert their eyes from contact with another as an appropriate sign 
of respect. Cultures also differ with respect to their use of pauses and silence during 
conversation, the preferred physical distance from others, and the appropriate tone of 
voice (Sue 1990).
Despite the difﬁculties in measuring social anxiety across cultures, studies gener -
ally suggest that social anxiety and shyness are common across different ethnic groups. 
However, it should be noted that in the United States and Canada, the majority of 
people who seek treatment for social anxiety disorder tend to be white and have a 
European background. Although people from nonwhite, non-European backgrounds are 
just as likely to experience problems with social anxiety, they are less likely to seek help 
from a mental health professional.
HOW DOES SOCIAL ANXIETY AFFECT  
PEOPLE’S LIVES?
In this section, we will discuss how a person’s social anxiety can affect relationships,