The Role of Cognitive Avoidance and Decisional Procrastination in Predicting Social Anxiety among Students

The set of mental strategies based on which individuals change their thoughts during social relationships is called cognitive avoidance, which, along with social decisional procrastination can lead to social anxiety. Thus, the purpose of this study is to address the role ofcognitive avoidance and decision making procrastination in predicting social anxiety among students.

The research design is of descriptive correlational type. The statistical population of the study consists of all boy students in high schools in Delfan in the academic year 2013-2014. The sample consisted of 220 students who were selected using random cluster-multistage sampling. To collect the data, the Cognitive Avoidance Scale, Decisional Procrastination Scale and Social Anxiety Scale were used. The data was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient analysis and multivariate regression analysis.

The results of Pearson correlation coefficient showed a significant positive relationship (p 0.01) between cognitive avoidance and social anxiety (with r= 0.44). There was also a significant positive relationship (P 0.01) between decisional procrastination and social anxiety (with r=0.41). Also the results of the regression showed that cognitive avoidance and decisional procrastination explained 22 percent of the variance of the students’ social anxiety, and these variables (cognitive avoidance and decisional procrastination) are the strongest predictors of social anxiety among students.

The results suggest that dysfunctional assumptions in social situations and decisional procrastination are among the risk factors affecting of students’ social anxiety.