Model for Predicting Social Anxiety Based on Perfectionism, Social Self-Efficacy, and Cognitive Distortions in Male and Female Adolescents

This research was conducted to develop a model for predicting social anxiety in male and female adolescents based on perfectionism, social self-efficacy, and cognitive distortions. The research was applied and descriptive-correlational and way analysis was the research method. The statistical population of the present survey consisted of all first- and second-year male and female high school students in 2019-2020. 373 adolescents were selected through clustered random sampling for the statistical sample. Social Anxiety Scale (CAS) (LaGreca, 1998), Perfectionism Scale (PS) (Najjarian, Attari, Zargar, 1999), Cognitive Distortions Questionnaire (CDQ) (Hamamci, Büyüköztürk, 2004), and social Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SSEQ) (Gaudiano, Herbert, 2003) were the questionnaires utilized. Path analysis was used to conduct the data analysis. Perfectionism, social self-efficacy, and cognitive distortions were found to have a significant relationship with social anxiety (p0.01). In addition, perfectionism and social self-efficacy have a direct significant impact on cognitive distortions associated with social anxiety (p<0.01). In addition, the results of the Bootstrap and Sobel tests indicated that cognitive distortions play an important mediating role in the relationship between perfectionism and social self-efficacy and social anxiety in male and female adolescents (p<0.01). Ultimately, the model's goodness of fit was satisfactory. Considering the significant mediating role of cognitive distortions, it is necessary for clinical clinicians to use cognitive techniques to reduce adolescents’ cognitive distortions.