Perceived Parental Psychological Control and Social Anxiety Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Behavioral Inhibition

Objective: Due to the widespread prevalence of social anxiety and its considerable consequences, research in this area is imperative. The present study was conducted to examine the perceived parental psychological control (PPPC) and its relationship with social anxiety symptoms (SAS) with behavioral inhibition (BI), serving as a mediating factor among female university students in Tehran City, Iran. Methods: The research sample includes 300 Iranian female university students aged 18 to 25 selected through convenience sampling from April to August 2023. The data were collected by the dependent and achievement-oriented psychological control scales, the social phobia inventory, and the behavioral activation/inhibition scale. The obtained data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation and path analysis in SPSS software, version 26 and AMOS software, version 24. Results: A significant positive correlation was found between PPPC and SAS (P≤0.01), as well as BI (P≤0.01). The path analysis revealed that BI mediates between PPPC and SAS (P≤0.01). Conclusion: Findings show that PPPC is related to SAS, and BI plays a mediating role that can partially increase social anxiety in this relationship.