Retrospective Report of Social Withdrawal During Adolescence and Current Maladjustment in Young Adulthood: Cross-Cultural Comparisons Between Australian and South Korean Students

• NCJ Number: 224601
• Journal: Journal of Adolescence Volume: 31 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2008 Pages: 543-563
• Author(s): Jinkwan Kim; Ronald M. Rapee; Kyung Ja Oh; Hye-Shin Moon
• Date Published: October 2008
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This study, which involved a comparison of youth living in Australia and Korea, examined links between the frequency of and motivations for social withdrawal during adolescence and subsequent emotional distresses in young adulthood.

Abstract

Results indicate that in both Australian and Korean populations, recollections of social withdrawal during adolescence were reported by young adults with impaired self-concept and emotional well-being. For both samples, the frequency of reported social withdrawal during adolescence was significantly negatively associated with perceived social support from classmates and close friends during adolescence and self-perceptions of self-worth and social relationships at university. In addition, for both populations, social withdrawal reported during adolescence significantly predicted emotional distress during early adulthood, including loneliness, depression, and social anxiety. The data indicate that specific motivations for recalled social withdrawal were uniquely linked with the risk for specific self-concepts and emotional distresses in young adulthood. Shyness-motivated withdrawal was the strongest contributor to later social anxiety through lowered self-concepts of a social nature. Social, cognitive, and emotional adjustment among shy individuals in Korea were not as negative as those in Australia. The frequency of social withdrawal also contributed indirectly to social anxiety in both samples through self-perceptions of social acceptance. Low mood was most strongly associated with later depression and impaired perceptions of self-worth in both samples. The strongest social withdrawal correlate for later loneliness among both samples was frequency of withdrawal. The Australian sample consisted of 78 undergraduate students (17 males and 61 females) at Macquarie University (Sydney). The Korean sample consisted of 130 students (83 males and 47 females) attending Yonsei University (Seoul). Social withdrawal during adolescence was assessed with a retrospective questionnaire. Participants also completed measures of general self-worth, social relationships, loneliness, social anxiety, and depression while at the university. 6 tables, 2 figures, and 67 references