Irrational Thinking and Social Anxiety Inadults: The Mediating Role of Self Esteem

Abstract

This study aimed to examine irrational thinking as a belief-level cognitive vulnerability underlying social anxiety in adults, with specific focus on social-evaluative fear. Social anxiety is characterized by fear of negative evaluation and avoidance of social situations, and while cognitive theories emphasize maladaptive appraisals, belief-based vulnerabilities remain underexplored. Using a quantitative cross-sectional correlational design, data were collected from 300 university students aged 20–39 years at the University of Technology. Participants completed standardized self-report measures assessing irrational thinking and social anxiety. Pearson correlation and regression analyses were conducted to examine associations and predictive relationships. Results indicated a significant positive relationship between irrational thinking and social anxiety, with irrational beliefs significantly predicting social anxiety symptoms. Rigid, absolutistic, and catastrophic belief patterns were particularly influential. These findings support belief-based cognitive models and suggest that interventions should target irrational thinking to prevent and reduce social anxiety