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Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships

Downey, Geraldine, Feldman, Scott I.·1996·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

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Abstract

People who are sensitive to social rejection tend to anxiously expect, readily perceive, and overreact to it. This article shows that this cognitive-affective processing disposition undermines intimate relationships. Study 1 describes a measure that operationalizes the anxious-expectations component of rejection sensitivity.

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Crossref · 10.1037/0022-3514.70.6.1327

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BackgroundMethodInfluential
Vulnerability to Interpersonal Rejection Based on Appearance in Body Positive and Pro-Anorexic Online Communities
Polskaya, N. A., Yakubovskaya, D. K., & Razvaliaeva, A. Y. (2023) · Social Psychology and Society · doi:10.17759/sps.2023140109 · Cited by 8
Self-esteem and social interactions in daily life: An experience sampling study
Enting, M., Jongerling, J., & Reitz, A. K. (2024) · European Journal of Personality · doi:10.1177/08902070241292987 · Cited by 9
“This may result in either an under-estimation of the quality of social interactions (Downey & Feldman, 1996; Murray et al., 2003a; Murray et al., 2000) or an overreaction during social interactions and consequently lower quality of social interactions (Downey & Feldman, 1996; Murray et al., 2003b).”
The Role of Perceived Utility of Emotion in Interpersonal Sensitivity and Depression
Chow, P. I., Berenbaum, H., & Flores, L. E. (2013) · Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1521/jscp.2013.32.8.859 · Cited by 7
Pathways among Self-esteem, Marital Instability, and Depression: A Personality-Relationship Transactional Perspective
Tong, W., Jia, J., Li, X., He, Q., Zhou, N., Lan, J., & Fang, X. (2020) · Journal of Family Issues · doi:10.1177/0192513x20963166 · Cited by 7
“…(Cheng & Furnham, 2003), process ambiguous information about their partners negatively (Murray et al., 2000; Murray et al., 2002), and underestimate how positively their partner regards them (Murray et al., 2000) and how committed their partners is to their relationships (Downey & Feldman, 1996).”
Background
Effects of Rejection Sensitivity on the Development of Anxious-Depressive Attack in Patients with Social Anxiety Disorder
Kaiya, H., Noda, S., Takai, E., et al. (2020) · Anxiety Disorder Research · doi:10.14389/jsad.12.1_37 · Cited by 7
“RS (Downey & Feldman, 1996) or interpersonal sensitivity (Boyce & Parker, 1989) is a predisposition to a feeling of not being liked, accepted, or respected. us, it seems that there are mutual relationships among ADA, social anxiety, DAF and RS. en, the present study examines these relationships in…”
Background
Fear of Missing Out Scale Indonesian Version: An Internal Structure Analysis
Wibaningrum, G., & Aurellya, C. D. (2020) · JP3I (Jurnal Pengukuran Psikologi dan Pendidikan Indonesia) · doi:10.15408/jp3i.v9i2.16283 · Cited by 6
“This rejection sensitivity includes excessive expectations, the perception of anxiety, and excessive reactions to rejection (Downey, 1996).”
Background
Assessing self-schema content: The relationship of psychological needs to early maladaptive schemas, rejection sensitivity, and personality traits
Scott, W. D., Tyser, J., Penningroth, S. L., & Strauch, C. (2021) · Self and Identity · doi:10.1080/15298868.2021.1895882 · Cited by 8
“The RSQ has been widely used and has demonstrated good reliability and validity (Brookings et al., 2003; Downey & Feldman, 1996).”
BackgroundMethod
The less I get, the more I punish: A moderated-mediation model of rejection sensitivity and guilt in depression
Caculidis-Tudor, D., Bică, A., Ianole-Călin, R., & Podina, I. R. (2021) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-021-01625-7 · Cited by 7
“Another byproduct of negative social exchanges in depression is rejection sensitivity (RS; Downey & Feldman, 1996; Liu et al., 2014), or the exaggerated fear of rejection coupled with an overreaction to it.”
Background
The role of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on voluntary forgetting of negative social feedback in depressed patients: A TMS study
Yuming, C. H. E. N., Li, S., Guo, T., Xie, H., Xu, F., & Zhang, D. (2021) · Acta Psychologica Sinica · doi:10.3724/sp.j.1041.2021.01094 · Cited by 7
Sexual growth mindsets and rejection sensitivity in sexual satisfaction
Cultice, R. A., Sanchez, D. T., & Albuja, A. F. (2021) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/02654075211054390 · Cited by 9
“…addition, sexual rejection sensitive men and women may perceive ambiguous sexual behaviors as indicators of rejection in their partners, because prior research suggests that rejection-sensitive adults are prone to perceive rejection cues even in ambiguous situations (e.g., Downey & Feldman, 1996).”
Influential
Double hurt: The impact of interpersonal-level stigma on nonsuicidal self-injury among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals
Guo, J., Ying, J., Zhou, X., Wang, C., Lin, N., & You, J. (2022) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-022-03166-z · Cited by 7
Association between the behavioral response during social exclusion and recalled childhood maltreatment
Barton, B. B., Reinhard, M. A., Goerigk, S. A., Wüstenberg, T., Musil, R., Ehring, T. W., Jobst, A., Dewald‐Kaufmann, J., & Padberg, F. (2022) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2022.104232 · Cited by 11
“…neglect on passing preference during Cyberball through rejection anxiety and expectancy measured by the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ, Downey & Feldman, 1996; Staebler et al., 2011), age was entered as a moderator, path co-efficients are unstandardized, α = 0.05, significant results…”
Influential
Understanding a Mutually Destructive Relationship Between Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder and Their Favorite Person
Jeong, H., Jin, M. J., & Hyun, M. (2022) · Psychiatry Investigation · doi:10.30773/pi.2022.0079 · Cited by 7
A boost in self-esteem after positive social evaluation predicts social and non-social learning
van Schie, C. C., Cook, J. L., Elzinga, B. M., & Ly, V. (2023) · Royal Society Open Science · doi:10.1098/rsos.230027 · Cited by 10
Das Selbst
Morf, C. C. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65297-8_5 · Cited by 7
The Chinese adaptation and validation of the Fear of Being Single Scale for college students
Fan, Z., Lin, X., Tao, M., Wu, H., & Wang, X. (2023) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103989 · Cited by 6
Sociodemographic predictors of perceived weight discrimination
Gerend, M. A., Wilkinson, L. J., Sutin, A. R., Rosado, J. I., Ehrlich, K. B., Smith, D. W., & Maner, J. K. (2024) · International Journal of Obesity · doi:10.1038/s41366-024-01535-1 · Cited by 8
Dissimilar effects of task‐relevant and interpersonal threat on independent–interdependent self‐construal in individuals with high self‐esteem
Nakashima, K., Yanagisawa, K., & Ura, M. (2012) · Asian Journal Of Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1467-839x.2012.01386.x · Cited by 7
When Love Hurts: Understanding Hurtful Events in Couple Relationships
Feeney, J. A. (2009) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511770548.016 · Cited by 7
Resistance to Mate Guarding Scale in Women: Psychometric Properties
Cousins, A. J., Fugère, M. A., & Riggs, M. L. (2015) · Evolutionary Psychology · doi:10.1177/147470491501300107 · Cited by 7
“Although it may seem counter to keeping their relationship intact, anxiously attached individuals may engage in activities that are detrimental to their relationship (Downey and Feldman, 1996); one such tactic may be to mate guard their partner.”
Background
Stress
Matthews, G., Deary, I. J., & Whiteman, M. C. (2003) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511812736.011 · Cited by 7
Self-Improvement as a Response to Interpersonal Regulation in Close Relationships: The Role of Attachment Styles
Zhang, H. (2012) · The Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1080/00224545.2012.691125 · Cited by 7
“…often have worries over their partners’ love, which influence how they perceive and interpret their partners’ behaviors and intentions, exacerbating in turn their feelings of insecurity (e.g., Collins, 1996; Collins & Allard, 2001; Downey & Feldman, 1996; Simpson, Rholes, & Phillips, 1996).”
Background
Recalibrating valence weighting biases to promote changes in rejection sensitivity and risk-taking
Pietri, E. S., & Fázio, R. H. (2016) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2016.05.004 · Cited by 8
“We calculated the rejection sensitivity score using the same expectancy-value system utilized by Downey and Feldman (1996).”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Children's Intergroup Relations and Attitudes
Bigler, R. S., Rohrbach, J., & Sanchez, K. L. (2016) · Advances in child development and behavior · doi:10.1016/bs.acdb.2016.05.005 · Cited by 8
Autobiographical Memory in Bipolar Disorder and Its Link to Neuropsychological Functioning
Quinlivan, E., Dallacker, M., Renneberg, B., Strasser, E. S., Fiebig, J., & Stamm, T. J. (2017) · Psychopathology · doi:10.1159/000475533 · Cited by 6

Authors: Downey, G., & Feldman, S. I.
Affiliations: Columbia University (US)
ORCID: Downey, Geraldine
Venue: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 1996
Volume: 70
Issue: 6
Pages: 1327-1343
ISSN: 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
1939-1315
DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.70.6.1327
OpenAlex: W4241492439
Cited by: 2,110
References: 0
Citations by year: 2026: 135 · 2025: 115 · 2024: 104 · 2023: 139 · 2022: 118 · 2021: 108 · 2020: 144 · 2019: 84 · 2018: 94 · 2017: 107 · 2016: 98 · 2015: 98 · 2014: 104 · 2013: 93 · 2012: 76
FWCI: 16.75
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Institutes of Health (1r29mh051113-01)
National Institute of Mental Health (R29-MH51113)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
Keywords: rejection sensitivity, intimate relationships, interpersonal rejection, romantic relationships
MeSH terms: Adolescent, Adult, Female, Gender Identity, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Personality Assessment, Psychometrics, Rejection, Psychology, Social Perception, Social Support

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Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships

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