Avoidant personality disorder causes a person to avoid interaction with other people, especially if the interaction involves a new activity that may prove embarrassing. The person has difficulty maintaining jobs working with other people, difficulty maintaining relationships, and views others to be socially superior.

The fear associated with avoidant personality disorder stems from low self-esteem, shyness, and being overly sensitive to negative evaluation by others. Avoidant personality disorder may be a more severe form of social anxiety disorder (another disorder that causes fear of being ridiculed in public).