Poor psychological adjustment and social phobia are among the factors that can negatively impact educational experiences of university students. These experiences, in turn, inhibit students from active class participation and social interaction with peers and instructors, making it difficult to seek help, and avoiding educational and interactive activities, all of which can lead to lower academic achievement. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the causal relationship between university students’ psychological adjustment and social phobia using a model that includes mediating and moderating variables. Building on early research, the current study utilized a group of variables that include general anxiety, nomophobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The sample consisted of 2888 university students from Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. The participants responded to a group of questionnaires measuring the study variables using an online format. Good validity and reliability evidences were obtained for all measures. The results showed a statistically significant direct effect between psychological adjustment (with its three dimensions) and social phobia among Sultan Qaboos University students (β= 0.325, p = 0.01). In addition, the findings supported a statistically significant indirect effect of psychological adjustment on social phobia through general anxiety as a mediating variable (β= 0.346, p = 0.01). Also, a statistically significant indirect effect was found through nomophobia (fear of being without a mobile phone) as a mediating variable (β= 0.145, p = 0.01). Furthermore, obsessive-compulsive disorder plays a moderating role in the relationship between psychological adjustment and social phobia (β= 0.125, p = 0.05), where the strength of the effect varies depending on the level of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The fit indices of the model were excellent (CFI = 0.99; GFI = 0.98; RMSE = 0.01). The researchers provide some recommendations that should help university administration design support programs for students, especially freshmen. There is a need to develop programs to build self-confidence and provide psychological and social support to students. Educational institutions should focus on building a supportive and encouraging environment, providing awareness programs, and organizing training sessions that help students to develop positive psychological adaptation strategies that enable them to overcome social phobia effects.

Acknowledgement:
This presentation was made possible by Sultan Qaboos University Internal Grant # IG/DAR/DVC/HURC/25/01, with special thanks to the Humanities Research Center and the UNESCO Chair on Educational Psychology for their support. The findings achieved herein are solely the responsibility of the author.

Keywords: Psychological adjustment, social phobia, university students, Oman.