Publication Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Shimizu, Hidetada

Degree Name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Legacy Department

Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations (LEPF)

Abstract

This study explored how African American adults understand and experience shyness, with particular attention to the influence of race and racism. While most psychological research on shyness has largely centered white experiences and treated race as a peripheral variable, this study applied Critical Race Theory and Cultural Model Theory to investigate whether Black Americans share a cultural model for shyness. Using semi-structured interviews with sixteen African American adults, the study sought to uncover shared mental frameworks that guide interpretations of shy behavior, especially in contexts involving unfamiliarity or potential negative evaluation.

Contrary to expectations, the findings did not support the existence of a widely shared cultural model for shyness among participants. However, several recurring themes emerged, including the impact of racial stereotypes on self-expression. The study concludes by calling for further investigation into the possibility that a form of regulated shyness (a term originating from shyness research in China) exists among Black Americans, in response to the risk of being associated with negative racial stereotypes.

Extent

89 pages

Language

en

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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