Shyness, Sociability and Patterns of Everyday Affiliation

Abstract

The regulation of affiliation patterns in everyday life has important implications for subjective well-being. For instance, Cheek & Buss (1981) distinguished approach (sociability) motivation from avoidance tendencies (shyness) and found that individuals high in both traits experienced the most stilted and uncomfortable interaction in comparison to any other trait combination among dyad members. In the present field study, participants were free to self-regulate their social interaction in any way. Meaningful patterns of initiation of encounters, perceptions of the encounter and objective features of the encounter emerged. The pattern of findings suggests that further research on the self-regulation of affective life, through affiliation patterns, would be productive.