The association between responses to stress and psychopathology seems to be well established, yet there is only one study so far which has investigated the longitudinal relationships between social...Show moreThe association between responses to stress and psychopathology seems to be well established, yet there is only one study so far which has investigated the longitudinal relationships between social anxiety and responses to social stress in adolescents. The aims of the present study were to replicate findings from previous research and to explore the moderating effect of gender on the bidirectional prospective associations between responses to social stress and social anxiety. It was hypothesized that the current study would replicate the findings that primary control engagement coping (i.e., problem solving, emotional regulation, emotional expression) predicts social anxiety symptoms over time. In congruence with previous studies, it was also expected for girls to score higher on both variables. Moreover, it was hypothesized that the above-mentioned prospective association would be moderated by gender and would be stronger in girls. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess social anxiety symptoms and responses to social stress in a community sample of 153 adolescents (77 boys and 76 girls) between the ages of 12 and 17 at T1 (i.e., Time 1) and 14 and 19 at T2 (i.e., Time 2). The present study did not reproduce some of the findings stemming from previous research, the possible reasons for which have been explored and reviewed in the discussion. Furthermore, it was found that gender moderated the relationship between social anxiety at T1 and involuntary disengagement (e.g., inaction, emotional numbing) at T2, which association was significant and positive in girls and non-significant in boys. In contrast to the initial hypothesis, the association between primary control coping at T1 and social anxiety at T2 was not moderated by gender. The relevance of these findings, as well as the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are presented in the discussion.Show less
