ABSTRACT
So far we have learnt that others play a crucial role in the development of the self-system and that we continue to make self-comparisons with others throughout adult life, not least as a means of checking the appropriateness of our behaviour. Although most people do not feel continually anxious, events do occasionally occur that cause us to feel unsure of our abilities. This often results in anxiety, awkwardness and an increase in self-awareness. These feelings typically arise out of a fear of negative evaluation, or negative self-comparisons with others, and a variety of terms such as embarrassment, self-consciousness, social anxiety, shame and guilt have been used to explain them.
