Social Anxiety and Sensation-seeking Tendencies in Young Adults

Background Social anxiety and sensation seeking are contrasting psychological constructs. Social anxiety is associated with fear of negative evaluation, whereas sensation seeking involves the pursuit of novel, varied, and exciting experiences. Purpose This study examined the relationship between social anxiety and sensation seeking and explored gender differences in these variables among young adults. Method A total of 224 young adults (128 females and 96 males) participated in the study. Data were collected using the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and Zuckerman’s Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS). Independent samples t-tests were used to assess gender differences, and Pearson’s correlation was used to examine the relationship between the variables. Results Significant gender differences were found in social anxiety, t(208) = 4.40, p < .001, and sensation seeking, t(208) = 4.64, p < .001, with males scoring higher on both measures. Pearson’s correlation revealed a significant negative relationship between social anxiety and sensation seeking (r = −0.243, p < .01). Conclusion Higher levels of social anxiety were associated with lower sensation-seeking behaviour. The findings highlight the influence of anxiety on sensation -seeking tendencies, although sociocultural and psychological factors may also shape these behaviours.