Aim: In recent years, research has concluded that social anxiety plays a key role in quality of life. The overall aim of this research was to evaluate social anxiety in adolescents with respect to determining how social anxiety affects quality of life. Method: This study was a cross-sectional study. A pilot study was conducted to cross-culturally adapt all scales by the recommended translated and back-translated method. The correlations of socio-demographic parameters with the SAS-A scores were examined. Data from a sample of 564 students (273 boys 48.4%, 291 girls 51.6%) were analysed. Adolescents from Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom were screened and compared. Confirmatory factor analysis was utilised to build the proposed model based on prior research and theoretical findings. Finding: No significant sex difference in the SAS-A total score, fear of negative evaluation and social avoidance were found. Comparing the boys and girls on SPIN scores, Fear, Avoidance and Authority Problems, the results showed that boys reported higher in SPIN total, fear and avoidance (except authority problem subscale score) than did girls. SAS-A scores were higher in those with a low socio-economic level. Moreover, social anxiety symptoms among Saudi adolescents were more severe in boys. Results showed that adolescents without social anxiety scored higher on quality of life and its subscales than adolescents with social anxiety as measured by ASA-A. No significant difference was found in psychical health. Adolescents without social anxiety scored higher on quality of life and its subscales than adolescents with social anxiety as measured by SIAS. Adolescents without social anxiety scored on Positive Individualism more than adolescents with social anxiety. No significant difference was found in Positive Relatedness. In the cross-cultural study, the results showed no significant difference on SIAS scores for Saudi adolescents and British adolescents. However, a marginally significant differences was found on BAI scores, where Saudi adolescents reported higher level of anxiety than British adolescents. The British sample reported higher on the fear of negative evaluation than the Saudi sample. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was utilised to test hypotheses on the links between scores on the study scales. The findings indicate that the overall fit of the SAS-A model was acceptable. Direct effects between the study variables and significant positive correlation between cognitive factors and social anxiety were found. Mediation effects of SAS-A and SPIN were investigated by reporting direct effects, indirect effects and total effects. Results indicte that social anxiety significantly mediated the relationships between subjective anxiety, positive individualism, and cognitive and environmental health. Conclusion: It is therefore imperative that socially anxious students be provided with appropriate consultations and treatment so that they can improve their quality of life through integrating better with social institutions. If untreated, the impairment caused by social phobia could lead to poor academic and professional outcomes, as well as poor psychosocial outcomes.

This study examines if there is a difference to what degree the cognitive, affective and normative aspects of the country of origin effect influences the consumer in their evaluation of wine. Wine was the product chosen for this study because it is a product that often uses the country of origin effect as a tool in its marketing. The three aspects were divided into elements to be better suitable for measurement. A questionnaire was handed out to consumers outside liquor stores in Uppsala. The questions examined how much the elements influenced the consumer in their evaluation of wine. The results showed that there is a difference with the affective aspects having more influence than the normative aspects. When further tests were conducted, other results illustrate that cognitive aspects can have bigger influence than normative aspects as well. These results indicate that it is not the country of origin effect as a whole concept that is interesting when it comes to practical use. / Denna studie undersöker om det finns en skillnad i hur mycket de kognitiva, affektiva och normativa aspekterna av ursprungslandets effekt påverkar konsumenterna i deras utvärderingsprocess av vin. Vin valdes då det är en produkt där ursprungslandet tydligt används i marknadsföringen. De tre aspekterna delades sedan in i beståndsdelar för att kunna mätas. En enkätundersökning genomfördes utanför systembolaget i Uppsala. Frågorna undersökte till vilken utsträckning beståndsdelarna påverkade konsumenterna i deras utvärdering. Resultaten påvisade att det finns en skillnad mellan aspekterna. Den affektiva aspekten påverkar konsumenterna mer än den normativa aspekten. Vidare tester visade även att den kognitiva aspekten kan ha en större påverkan än den normativa aspekten. Sålunda påvisade forskningsresultatet att hela ursprungslandet i sig självt inte är av primärt intresse vid praktisk användning.