Shyness and Loneliness: Contributions of Emotional Intelligence and Social Support

The present study examined both the mediation effects of emotional intelligence and social support on the relationship between shyness and loneliness in a sample of Chinese college students. Four hundred and ninety-seven college students, ranging in age from 19 to 23, completed the Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale, the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence scale, the Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Emotional and Social Loneliness Scale. Structural equation modeling showed that social support partially mediated the relationship between shyness and loneliness. The final model also revealed a significant path from shyness through emotional intelligence and social support to loneliness. Furthermore, through a multiple-group analysis, the results indicated that the paths did not differ across sexes at the statistic level, providing preparatory support to its robustness. The results are discussed in terms of the conceptional context.