Attributions of shy persons in romantic relationships

The present research examined attributions of shy persons in the interpersonal situation of romantic relationships. Two hundred fifteen undergraduate psychology students were administered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD), and the Romantic Relations Attributions Questionnaire (RRAQ). Correlations are reported for both the SAD and the BDI with the RRAQ. Partial correlations of the SAD with the RRAQ with depression removed also are reported. Results suggest that shy people attribute causality in romantic relationships in ways typically associated with depressed people. Moreover, observed gender differences suggest that shy females may be more committed to making a relationship work, whereas shy males may be more willing to abandon a problematic relationship.