Academic retention is the main factor being studied in relation to the effect of social anxiety. Along with socioeconomic and ethnic variables, ability to socially insert oneself into college life affects whether a student remains in school or transfers/drops out. Bean (1985) identifies five variables that affect drop out decisions:

• background and defining variables,
• academic variables,
• environmental variables,
• social integration variables,
• and intent-to-leave variables

Three possible effects of social anxiety on college students are determined:

• social isolation
• feeling unnerved in the company of strangers on campus
• inability to work with college authority figures

Finally, these are the study's proposed hypotheses:

• Socially anxious students will present higher dropout rates and lower grades than their non-socially anxious peers.
• Social skills will result in lower dropout rates, and effect on grades is not discussed.
• More self-assessed feelings of belonging on campus could result in better academic retention.
• A participant who self-reports high social anxiety will self-report poorer social skills.