Relationship between social anxiety and achievement motivation: A study on youth

The present study investigates the relationship between social anxiety and achievement motivation among youth, a developmental stage marked by increasing social responsibilities and performance demands. A sample of 140 young adults (69 males and 71 females) aged 18–30 years was selected using a simple random sampling technique. Social anxiety was assessed using the Social Anxiety Disorder Scale (Nagpal & Singh, 2020), and achievement motivation was measured using the Achievement Motivation Scale (Deo & Mohan, 1985). Statistical analyses included correlation, one-way ANOVA, and t-tests. The findings revealed a significant negative correlation between social anxiety and achievement motivation, indicating that higher levels of social anxiety are associated with lower achievement motivation. However, no significant differences were found in achievement motivation across different levels of anxiety. Gender comparisons showed no significant difference in social anxiety between males and females, whereas females demonstrated significantly higher achievement motivation than males. The study highlights the role of social anxiety in influencing motivational processes among youth.