The Relationship Between Emotion Regulation and Shyness Mediated by Emotional Intelligence in Junior High School Students

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationship between emotion regulation and shyness with the mediating role of emotional intelligence among junior high school students in Manojan. This applied study employed a descriptive–correlational design. The population consisted of all eighth-grade female students in Manojan, Kerman Province, from whom 210 participants were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Garnefski et al., 2001), the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Schutte et al., 1998), and the Shyness Scale (Cheek & Briggs, 1990). Content validity was confirmed and reliability was established via Cronbach’s alpha. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and the Sobel test in SPSS version 26. Emotion regulation was significantly and negatively associated with shyness (r = −0.493, p < 0.01), and significantly and positively associated with emotional intelligence (r = 0.604, p < 0.01). Emotional intelligence was also negatively related to shyness (r = −0.576, p < 0.01). The Sobel test confirmed the mediating role of emotional intelligence (z = −3.72, p < 0.01), with VAF indicating that 24.4% of the relationship between emotion regulation and shyness was explained through emotional intelligence. Enhancing students’ emotion regulation skills through strengthening emotional intelligence can substantially reduce shyness, highlighting the importance of school-based emotional skills interventions.