The Relationship Between Early Maladaptive Schemas and Adolescents’ Social Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Locus of Control

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and adolescents’ social anxiety and to examine the mediating role of locus of control in this relationship. Methods and Materials: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted among male students enrolled in vocational high schools in District 8 of Tehran, Iran. Based on Morgan’s sample size table, 210 students were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Young Schema Questionnaire–Short Form (YSQ-SF), the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), and Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale. The study focused on five schema domains that demonstrated the strongest relationships with social anxiety, including Social Isolation/Alienation, Defectiveness/Shame, Emotional Inhibition, Negativity/Pessimism, and Failure. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficients were computed to examine relationships among variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the strongest predictors of social anxiety, and structural equation modeling was employed to test the mediating role of locus of control. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS and AMOS software at a significance level of 0.05. Findings: The results revealed significant positive correlations between all five schema domains and social anxiety (p < .01). Social Isolation/Alienation demonstrated the strongest association with social anxiety (r = .61), followed by Defectiveness/Shame (r = .58), Negativity/Pessimism (r = .57), Emotional Inhibition (r = .56), and Failure (r = .54). All schema domains were also significantly associated with external locus of control (p < .01). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the five schema domains collectively explained 55% of the variance in social anxiety scores (R² = .55, p < .001), with Social Isolation/Alienation emerging as the strongest predictor. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that locus of control significantly mediated the relationship between maladaptive schemas and social anxiety. The indirect effect through locus of control was statistically significant (β = .16, p < .001), while the direct effect remained significant (β = .51, p < .001), indicating partial mediation. Conclusion: The findings suggest that maladaptive schemas related to social disconnection, shame, emotional suppression, pessimistic thinking, and perceived failure are important cognitive vulnerabilities associated with adolescent social anxiety.