Article ID: 28.2.2
Individuals with high autistic traits experience elevated levels of social anxiety. The present study investigates the characteristics of social anxiety among adolescents with high autistic traits. University students (N=395) completed questionnaires seeking to determine autistic traits (Autism-Spectrum Quotient; AQ), social anxiety, self-esteem, and public self-consciousness. Results indicated that highly autistic students (AQ≧33, N=32) are more socially anxious than are those in the control group and differ in that they are most socially anxious about “fitting among peers.” Autistic traits significantly moderated the relationship between public self-consciousness and the social anxiety of “fitting among peers,” such that there was no significant relationship among the highly autistic students. However, even among highly autistic students, increased public self-consciousness influences social anxiety in terms of “worrying about others and oneself,” “being embarrassed in social situations,” and “feeling uneasy about eye contact,” while reduced self-esteem influences overall social anxiety. Low self-esteem mediated the relationship between autistic traits and social anxiety, but the direct effect remained.
