Social Anxiety and Sociometric Nomination in Spanish Students of Compulsory Secondary Education

Abstract

Adolescents with social anxiety can manifest great interference in their relationship with classmates and other peers, as well as in their school performance. The aim of this study was to analyze the sociometric nominations and assessment of students with high social anxiety by their peers and teachers, and to determine whether these assessments differ significantly between evaluators (peers vs. teachers), in a sample of 2022 (51.1% male) Spanish adolescents aged between 12 and 16 years. Social anxiety was assessed using the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory questionnaire. Sociometric identification and assessment of various educational aspects of the students was performed through the Socio program and Teacher assessment scales, respectively. Results show that students with high social anxiety were nominated by peers as popular, rejected and neglected with the same frequency and proportionately less nominated as leaders, friendly, cooperative, and quarrelsome students than those without high social anxiety (d < .25). Teachers assessed the sociometric status of a student with low social anxiety in the same way as that of students with high social anxiety, although they considered the latter as less impulsive, less conflictive, less passive and more compliant with rules (d > .97). Finally, peers significantly nominated students with high social anxiety more as leaders, cooperative, quarrelsome, obedient and good students than their teachers (d < .42). In conclusion, this study shows that adolescents with high social anxiety are valued and nominated by their peers and teachers differently.