Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare cognitive insights and problem solving skills in students with and without social anxiety syndrome. Method: This study was an applied research and the nature and method of this study was causal-comparative. The statistical population consisted of 152 students with social anxiety disorder and no social anxiety syndrome in south Tehran. The sample consisted of 80 students (40 students with social anxiety and 40 students without social anxiety syndrome). In addition, the available purposive sampling method was used. Research tools were Watson and Freund's Social Anxiety Questionnaire (1969), Hepner's Problem Solving Questionnaire (1988) and Denis & Wenderval's Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire (2010). Results: Findings showed that there is a significant difference between cognitive insight and problem solving skills in students with social anxiety syndrome and without social anxiety syndrome. Conclusion: Students with social anxiety have less problem solving skills and cognitive flexibility than students without social anxiety syndrome.
