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Abstract
This study aimed to explore the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and college students’ social avoidance and distress. Our sample consisted of 544 Chinese female undergraduate college students selected through cluster sampling (mean age = 19.3 years, SD = 1.43 years). The students completed the Symptom Check-List-90 (SCL-90), Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS), Self-Consistency and Congruence Scale (SCCS), and Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS). The results showed that higher interpersonal sensitivity predicted higher social avoidance and distress. Self-inconsistency scores played a mediating role in the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and social avoidance and distress. Specifically, when self-inconstancy scores were high, interpersonal sensitivity was high, and social avoidance and distress was high. Moreover, self-consciousness moderated the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and social avoidance and distress. Specifically, when self-consciousness scores were high, self-inconsistency was low, and social avoidance and distress was low. Consistent with self-consciousness theory, we conclude from these findings that interpersonal sensitivity effects on social avoidance and distress behaviours of college students would depend on their levels of self-inconsistency and self-consciousness.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all the teachers and classmates who provided help during the research and the undergraduate student who participated in this study. This work was supported by the Program of Hunan Social Science Achievement Appraisal Committee Foundation of China (Project No XSP20YBZ128), Hunan 13th Five-Year Plan Foundation of China (Project No XJK19CXL002).