Do emotional abuse and personality traits predict early maladaptive schemas and social anxiety

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the model that personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion) and emotional abuse (peers and parents) predict the worsening of early maladaptive schemas and social anxiety symptoms in seven years old children. A total number of 210 first grade students were administered the following questionnaires: (1) Parental and Peer Emotional Abuse Questionnaire (2) NEO Personality Questionnaire (short form), (3) Young Early Maladaptive Schemas (short form), and (4) Lagerca Social Anxiety Questionnaire. The findings of path analysis indicated that emotional abuse predicted the early maladaptive schemas, which in turn predicted social anxiety symptoms in children. Emotional abuse and personality characteristics did not have any effects on social anxiety. Neuroticism had a direct effect on early maladaptive schemas and social anxiety. There was precisely no significant correlation between personality trait dimensions (neuroticism, extroversion), and emotional abuse on early maladaptive schemas and social anxiety.

KEYWORDS:

• Emotional abuse
• early maladaptive schemas
• personality traits
• social anxiety

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the respectable authorities of the Teachers’ Research Institute and the Chiefs, administrators and Deputy Administrators of quaternary education areas in Shiraz, who provided us with the opportunity to conduct this research at the schools, I also thank all the above-mentioned school advisors and all the students who provided the opportunity for conducting this study by their participation in the research and answering the questions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethical standards and informed consent

The content of this paper is part of the Ph. D. thesis of the first author. This study was conducted under the supervision of Isfahan University Review Board. All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all participants for being included in the study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Abbas Shojaati

Abbas Shojaati, Ph.D. student at the university of Isfahan, Iran. He is also a part time lecturer at the university. His main field of interest are emotional abuse, suicide, children and adolescents and Schema therapy.

Mehrdad Kalantari

Mehrdad Kalantari, Ph.D. received my Ph.D. in psychology and currently a full professor at the University of Isfahan. I got my Ph.D. in psychology at the University of London, M.A. in clinical psychology at the University of Shiraz and B.A. of Psychology at the University of Isfahan, Iran. I am a full-time professor and lecturer at the University of Isfahan. My main field of interest is positive psychology.

Hossein Mulavi

Hossein Mulavi, is a professor at the university of Isfahan, Iran. His main field of interest include child therapy, religion and sprituality and social anxiety.