Self-Focused Attention and Social Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Control

Objective: To study the relationship between control, self-focused attention (self-consciousness), and social anxiety. Methods: A total of 100 online questionnaires were distributed and collected, utilizing the Self-Consciousness Scale, Shapiro Control Questionnaire, and Social Interaction Anxiety Scale. A mediating relationship model was constructed. Results: Social anxiety had a significant negative correlation with control and a significant positive correlation with public self-consciousness, but no significant correlation with private self-consciousness. Control partially mediated the relationship between public self-consciousness and social anxiety and masked the relationship between private self-consciousness and social anxiety. Conclusion: The higher the level of public self-consciousness, the more severe the individual’s social anxiety, with control playing a mediating role between public self-consciousness and social anxiety. There is no significant relationship between private self-consciousness and social anxiety; however, control has a masking effect on this relationship.