Evolutionary and Neuroscientific Perspectives on Adaptive Shyness

In this chapter, we explore the function of shyness from evolutionary and neuroscientific perspectives. We address three specific questions: (1) Are there adaptive functions of shyness? (2) What are some of the regulatory mechanisms of adaptive shyness? and (3) How are these self‐regulatory mechanisms instantiated in the brain in adaptive shyness? We conclude the chapter with some suggestions for future work in this area.