The offensive subtype of Taijin Kyofusho (offensive TKS) involves the fear of offending others. While offensive TKS and social anxiety disorder (SAD) present similar pathology, the former is notably different from SAD in that the fear is other-oriented. However, few studies have investigated the individual differences that predict the symptoms unique to offensive TKS and SAD. The present study examined the behavioral inhibition/activation systems (BIS/BAS) and over-adaptation tendency as potential predictive factors using a questionnaire-based survey. In all, 274 undergraduates completed questionnaires measuring TKS tendency, social anxiety tendency, BIS/BAS, over-adaptation tendency, and depressive tendency. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the BIS/BAS was a unique predictor of SAD, whereas over-adaptation tendency was a unique predictor of offensive TKS. Therefore, the results suggest that offensive TKS and SAD have different psychological mechanisms.
