The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationships and Self-Differentiation in The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Social Phobia

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between social phobia, attachment styles, interpersonal relationships, and self-differentiation and to determine the mediating role of interpersonal relationships and self-differentiation in the relationship between attachment styles and social phobia. A total of 314 people, 197 (62.7%) women, and 117 (37.3%) men, aged between 18 and 70 years (30.60±11.66), were included in the study conducted in Istanbul. They were used as data collection tools Liebowitz Social Phobia Scale, Scale of Dimensions Interpersonal Relationship, Relationship Scales Questionnaire, and Self-Differentiation Scale. Parallel mediation analyzes were performed using Hayes's PROCESS macro plug-in based on the Bootstrap method. According to the results of the correlation analysis, weak and moderately significant relationships were found between the variables. The mediation analysis findings revealed, that approval dependence, trusting others, and emotional reactivity have parallel mediation effects in the relationship between secure attachment and social phobia-anxiety; that approval dependence and trusting others have parallel mediation effects in the relationship between secure attachment and social phobia-avoidance; that trusting others and emotional reactivity have parallel mediation effects in the relationship between dismissing attachment and social phobia-anxiety and avoidance; that approval dependence and trusting others had parallel mediation effect in the relationship between fearful attachment and social phobia-anxiety and avoidance; that approval dependence, trusting others and emotional reactivity had parallel mediation effect in the relationship between obsessive attachment and social phobia-anxiety; and that approval dependence and trusting others had parallel mediation effect in the relationship between preoccupied attachment and social phobia-avoidance. A total of 8 significant models explained between 4% and 19% of the variance. It can be said that the findings of the study can contribute to the determination of the variables mediating the relationship between attachment and social phobia and the development of clinical interventions for these variables.