A facet of Neuroticism
Social shyness measures how much discomfort you feel at being observed or judged: the self-consciousness under others' gaze, the fear of embarrassment, the sharp awareness of yourself in company. It isn't the same as being introverted.
You take seriously how you're perceived and rarely slip up from overconfidence; there's a humility and prudence in it. The cost: fear of judgment holds you back from things you'd like to do, and sometimes you confuse 'I'm being watched' with 'I'm being criticized.'
Others' gaze doesn't weigh on you: you speak, act and expose yourself without embarrassment braking you. The risk: sometimes you misjudge how you come across, because the filter of self-consciousness barely switches on.
Careful not to confuse this with extraversion: you can be very sociable and still suffer exposure greatly, or be reserved and feel not a gram of embarrassment. High shyness protects from recklessness, but it shrinks a life if it rules too much.
Where it shows. It shows in public speaking, in walking alone into a crowded room, in asking for something in a shop, and in whether you mentally replay 'what I said' hours later.
The test measures this facet precisely, alongside the other 29 - your real percentile, not a label. Free, no sign-up, 15 minutes.
The other facets of Neuroticism