Early Public And Private Schooling System As A Determinant Of Shyness Among University Students

Objective:  The purpose of the present study was to compare the level of shyness among university students with an early public and private schooling background and to investigate the role of gender on shyness. Design of the Study: A quantitative comparative survey research design was employed. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the University of Karachi, Pakistan. Data were collected during regular academic sessions. Sample and Method: The participants of this study comprised 120 university students of both genders with an age range of 18 to 22 years (M = 20.71, SD = 1.46), recruited through purposive convenience sampling. The Shyness Scale (McCroskey & Richmond, 1982) was used to assess shyness. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results and Conclusion Results indicated a significant difference in shyness between students from public and private schooling backgrounds (p < .05). However, no significant gender differences were found in shyness (p > .05). The findings suggest that early schooling background plays a significant role in determining shyness among university students, whereas gender does not significantly influence shyness.