The Mediating Role of Self-Criticism in the Relationship between Fear of Negative Evaluation and Social Anxiety in Medical Science Students

Introduction: Social anxiety disorder is an intense and persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. This fear can affect work, school, and other daily activities. This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the mediating role of self-criticism regarding the fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety of medical students. Methods: This is a correlational research conducted using structural equations. The statistical population of the research consisted of all doctoral students of medical sciences in Yazd in the academic year 1400-1401. The sample size of 227 people was determined and sampling was done by voluntary sampling method. The research tools included the social anxiety scale (Jarabek, 1996), self-criticism (Thompson & Zuroff, 2004) and fear of negative evaluation (Leary, 1983), which was published online. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling, utilizing SPSS26 and Amos24 software. Results: The direct effect of fear of negative evaluation on social anxiety was significant (P=0/001). the direct effect of self-criticism on social anxiety (P=0/041), and the direct effect of fear of negative evaluation on self-criticism (P=0/001) were significant. Bootstrap results further indicated that the indirect effect of fear of negative evaluation on social anxiety through self-criticism was significant (P=0/019). Conclusion:These findings highlight self-criticism as a significant mediator between fear of negative evaluation and social anxiety in medical students, emphasizing the importance of addressing self-perception in interventions.