Implicit theories of anxious and regulated shyness in American and Chinese children

Introduction: Emerging evidence suggests that cultural differences in interpersonal perception may influence how shy children adjust across cultural contexts. This study examined whether implicit theories of shyness mediate cross-cultural differences in children's relationships with shy peers and whether this mediating effect differs by the form of shyness. Methods: Participants were 94 American children from Honolulu, USA (48 girls; M age = 10.24 years) and 106 Chinese children from Shanghai, PRC (52 girls; M age = 10.28 years). Children were randomly assigned to read vignettes depicting either anxious shyness or regulated shyness. They then completed measures assessing their implicit theories of the depicted form of shyness and their relationships with peers showing that form of shyness. Results: Stronger entity theories of shyness were associated with poorer relationships with shy peers, indicating that implicit theories may play a similar role in explaining individual differences in shy children's adjustment across both cultural groups. American children endorsed stronger entity theories of shyness than Chinese children, which partly mediated their poorer relationships with shy peers. This mediating effect was stronger for children who read the anxious shyness vignette than for those who read the regulated shyness vignette. Discussion: These findings highlight the importance of implicit theories of shyness in understanding both cultural similarities and cultural differences in children's relationships with shy peers.