The relationships between explicit/implicit shyness and psychological adjustment: Using Implicit Association Test(IAT)

In the present study, the authors focused on how explicit and implicit shyness are associated with other personality traits and emotions. Explicit shyness is assumed to be consciously grasped whereas implicit shyness is supposed to be difficult to be understood that way. In this study, forty-one participants completed the Implicit Association Test (IAT) for measuring implicit shyness, and the self-report scales of explicit shyness, aggression, loneliness, self-monitoring and subjective well-being. A correlation analysis revealed a significant positive association between implicit shyness and subjective well-being (r=.41, p=.01). This result suggests adaptive aspects of implicit shyness. For future directions, researchers have to closely examine robustness of this result and collect more data.