Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY, cilt.44, ss.1-12, 2025 (SSCI)
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a detrimental impact on individuals, often leading to psychological challenges that hinder their ability to flourish. Previous research has shown that those with childhood adversities tend to exhibit higher levels of shyness compared to others. This shyness may, in turn, create barriers to developing psychological resilience. In this context, the present study explored the serial mediation of shyness and resilience in the relationship between ACEs and flourishing. 430 individuals (mean age = 30.17), 305 females (70.9%) and 125 males (29.1%), participated from 47 cities across Türkiye. The data was collected through self-reported questionnaires. Results show that the prevalence of at least 1 ACE was 55.6%, and the prevalence of 3 and more ACEs was 26.3%. The most commonly experienced ACEs were psychological abuse, neglect, and physical abuse. The hypothesized model of serial mediation of shyness and resilience between ACEs and flourishing was a good fit. According to the findings, ACEs may increase shyness, which may arise as a consequence of neurological and cognitive adversity. Increased shyness may hinder the development of resilience by limiting access to important resources such as social connections and support or inhibiting regulation in social interactions. This serial mediation link highlights some of the challenges to adult flourishing. Interventions aimed at managing shyness and fostering resilience could support individuals on their path to flourishing. While these findings add to our knowledge of the complex relationship among personality traits, childhood experiences, and well-being, it is important to recognize the limitations of this research and that more studies are necessary to examine other factors and possible interventions.