Brief report: Perceptions of social withdrawal during emerging adulthood in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

The study of social withdrawal subtypes is no longer limited to Western societies but has extended to non-Western countries, such as China. This study considers, for the first time, social withdrawal subtypes in an African country (Nigeria) by examining emerging adults' (N ¼ 151; 54% female; M age ¼ 19.92 years, SD ¼ 2.54) perceptions, attitudes, and responses to shy, unsociable, and socially competent behaviors. Results revealed that Nigerian emerging adults perceived significant differences between shy, unsociable, and socially competent behavior in several ways incommensurate with participants of previous studies conducted in North America, Europe, and China. Findings highlight the diversity of social meanings attached to social withdrawal in non-Western societies, and point to the need for additional research on social withdrawal and its perception in Africa.

Unsociability, peer relations, and psychological maladjustment among children: A moderated‐mediated model

“…Specifically, unsociability was more strongly associated with friendship quality and peer preference for boys than girls. The findings are consistent with previous studies (Bowker, Ojo, & Bowker, 2016;Coplan & Weeks, 2010;Coplan et al, 2012;Ding et al, 2015) showing that unsociability results in more negative effects for Chinese boys, such as evoking more negative responses from peers and having more friendship problems.…”

Life Satisfaction, Interpersonal Relationships, and Learning Influence Withdrawal from School: A Study among Junior High School Students in Japan

“…Regarding the interpersonal relationship subscale, which incorporates the four subscales of teacher support, friendship, social skills, and non-intrusive relationships, lower scores in the 40–49 group were related to school absenteeism. Students are reported to become more sensitive to interpersonal relationships over time, and difficulties in relationships may be a major cause of avoiding school and exhibiting further social withdrawal [ 30 , 31 ]. In addition, school withdrawal at the period of junior high school has been reported to be related to communication skills in school settings among the student group in the transitional phase of adjustment to junior high school, and school absenteeism has been attributed to school-life skills, including communication skills [ 32 ].…”

Spinal–epidural abscess presenting as an acute abdomen in a child: A case report and review of the literature

“…It is our task to make sure that the clinical history is detailed enough and to pay additional attention in such patients before ruling out any possibilities. Shyness and social withdrawal add extra challenges to the practicing physicians in a variety of societies from Nigeria[ 13 ] to China[ 14 ] and from Denmark[ 15 ] to Iran. [ 16 ] Female gender and puberty age seem to be important risk factors.…”

“…This problem could even influence the patient's attitude towards undergoing medical examinations. [ 13 16 ] Little is known about general practitioners’ understanding and integration of this existential dimension into their encounters with their patients. Cultural barriers such as shyness and lack of self-awareness seem to hinder general practitioners in communicating issues related to the existential dimension.…”