Of the Americans surveyed …

5% tend to be shy in most situations

15% used to be shy as children, but are not shy as adults

40% have never experienced shyness

40% are shy in certain situations

1. Do these results surprise you? Why or why not? 2. Why do most non-Americans believe Americans are outgoing? 3. In your opinion, is shyness a positive or negative quality? Explain.

Are you shy or not? Take the quiz. Add up the points to find out!

Discuss the results of the shyness quiz with your group-mates. How did your group’s scores compare with the results of Zimbardo’s study? When you speak English, do you feel shy or bold? Explain.

W hat does it mean to be shy? For some people, it may simply mean being introverted, or quiet and cautious. In the sense, shyness can protect us from moving into new experience too quickly. However, for other people, it may mean not being able to do or say what they want. In these, shyness can be a serious obstacle to social and professional growth.

A shy person experiences high anxiety in social situations. The heart races, the hands perspire, the throat feels dry, and the stomach may get butterflies. Some very shy people may avoid social situations or cling to dead-end jobs.

Shyness exists universally, although it may be experienced or defined differently in every culture. In the United States, however, shyness is perceived as a problem that needs to be overcome. Books with such titles as Overcoming Shyness, Beat the Shyness Trap, or Shyness: What to Do about It, crowd the shelves of libraries and bookstore. Garrison Keillor, a famous radio host and comedian, is shy. On his radio program he advertises a fictional product, Powdermilk Biscuits, which shy people can eat to overcome their shyness. “Powdermilk Biscuits,” the ad claims, “Help shy people stand up and do what needs to be done.”

Working with a partner, read the factors that psychologists believe make people shy. Decide how important each may be in causing shyness. Write V (very important), S (somewhat important), or N (not very important) next to each factor. Then discuss the reasons for your choices.

1. heredity

2. cultural values

3. birth order (oldest, middle, or youngest)

4. life experiences (moving, changing schools, divorce in family)

5. gender

6. competition

7. electronic revolution

8. parents’ behaviour

9. lack of social skills

10. physical attractiveness

Exercise 36. Preparing to Listen

Read the following sentences. Try to determine the meaning of the underlined words from the context of the sentences. Then write a definition or similar expression.

1. In the English class, some students tend to speak out a lot. Others are somewhat reticent.

2. A public-speaking phobia, called glossophobia, prevented the businessman from delivering formal presentation at work.

3. If people cannot explain their ideas well, others may assume those ideas have no merit.

4. One of Philip Zimbardo’s students indicated that Israelis were not shy and introverted. On the contrary, they were outgoing and extroverted.

5. Some shy people are comfortable with their personality. However, for others, shyness had adverse consequences.

6. Some psychologists describe shyness as a syndrome with patterns of physical and emotional symptoms.

7. Chronic shyness that persists from childhood to adulthood can have negative consequences such as low self-esteem and loneliness.

8. My friend and I regard each other as kindred souls. We are both painfully shy.

9. People often make terrible misattributions about those who are shy. They assume shy people are cold and unfriendly instead of merely bashful.

10. Of the Indian students surveyed, 82% reported that shyness was a problem or handicap that made them unhappy and unfulfilled.

11. Many employees thought the company president was aloof and unfriendly. But in truth, she was just painfully shy.

12. It was not her intention to be rude or condescending toward her staff. She behaved this way in order to cover up her extreme shyness.

Now match the words 1-12 with a definition or similar expression a-l. Write the appropriate letter in the boxes on the left.

	1.	reticent		a.	condition		1.
	2.	phobia		b.	distant		2.
	3.	merit		c.	very strong fear		3.
	4.	extroverted		d.	negative		4.
	5.	adverse		e.	disadvantage		5.
	6.	syndrome		f.	silent		6.
	7.	chronic		g.	false assumption		7.
	8.	kindred souls		h.	very sociable		8.
	9.	misattributions		i.	people having similar traits		9.
	10.	handicap		j.	value		10.
	11.	aloof		k.	treating others as inferior		11.
	12.	condescending		l.	continual (in medical sense		12.

E xercise 37. LISTENING FOR MAIN IDEAS

You will hear an interview from the radio news program Morning Edition aired on National Public Radio in the United States. The interviewee, Philip Zimbardo, comments that many of the shy people he interviewed say, “shyness is undesirable, it has adverse consequences.” Work with a partner. Predict some of the problems that you think shy people may have as a result of their shyness (for example: staying in a dead-end job, avoiding social situation, etc.) Read the questions. Then listen to Part One of the interview and write short answers to the questions. Do the same for Part Two.

Part One

1. What are the results of Dr. Zimbardo’s new study?

2. According to Dr. Zimbardo, why are Americans becoming shyer?

   • cultural factors:

   • social factors:

Part Two

3. What is the difference between situational and dispositional shyness?

4. According to Dr. Zimbardo, what important first step must shy people take to make themselves more comfortable in social situations?

5. Why is being shy especially difficult for attractive people?

LISTENING FOR DETAILS

Read the questions. Then listen to the interview again. As you listen circle the best answer to each question.

Part One

1. According to the interviewer, Alex Chadwick, these days Americans are having difficulty_____

1. meeting people

2. dressing appropriately

3. asking questions

2. Philip Zimbardo ____________

1. teaches in a shyness clinic

2. runs in Palo Alto

3. manages a shyness clinic

3. Zimbardo’s latest research focused on shy ________________

1. adults

2. children

3. children and adults

4. The researchers discovered that over the past ten years, the number of Americans who label themselves as shy has increased by ___________

1. 48%

2. 18%

3. 8%

5. One thing that Zimbardo does not say about shy people is that they are ____________

1. competitive

2. reticent

3. self-conscious

6. The electronic revolution means that many people’s jobs are being replaced by computers. Philip Zimbardo doesn’t mention ______________ as being replaced by computers.

1. gas station owners

2. bank tellers

3. telephone operators