Cited by 2,110Death Anxiety and Social ExclusionAttachment and Relationship DynamicsPersonality Traits and Psychology

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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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Zaid, S. M., Taresh, S. M., & Aljumaili, M. H. (2023) · International journal of Emerging Issues in Social Science Arts and Humanities · doi:10.60072/ijeissah.2023.v2i01.004 · Cited by 1
Personality Traits Differences in Young People Opting for Online vs. Traditional Dating
David, L. T., & Nitu, A. G. (2024) · Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov Series VII Social Sciences • Law · doi:10.31926/but.ssl.2023.16.65.2.1 · Cited by 1
“The psychometric quality of the scale shows that the questionnaire is a trustworthy measure of the anxious components and rejection expectancies of rejection sensitivity (Downey & Feldman, 1996), with an Alpha Cronbach of .93 in the present study.”
Method
The Effect of Socially Prescribed Perfectionism in Upper Elementary School Students on Their Interpersonal Anxiety: The Sequential Mediating Effect of Dichotomous Thinking and Rejection Sensitivity
Kang, Y., & Park, J. H. (2024) · Human Ecology Research · doi:10.6115/her.2024.012 · Cited by 2
The Effects of College Students' Insecure Attachment on Depression: The Multi-Parallel Mediating Effects of Rejection Sensitivity and Mattering
Oh, J., & Kang, Y.-S. (2024) · Journal of Social Science · doi:10.16881/jss.2024.04.35.2.175 · Cited by 2
The influence of testosterone on rejection sensitivity: Insights from salivary testosterone levels and genetic polymorphisms
Gong, P., Li, X., Yang, Y., Yang, Y., Xue, M., & Zhang, M. (2024) · Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology · doi:10.1177/18344909241254499 · Cited by 2
“This tendency is a personality characterized by oversensitivity to social rejection (Downey & Feldman, 1996).”
Influential
Exclusion and Radicalization
Renström, E. A., & Bäck, H. (2024) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009408165.003 · Cited by 1
Is childhood emotional neglect associated with problematic smartphone use among adolescents? The mediating role of rejection sensitivity and depressive symptoms
Gao, T., Yang, L., Wei, X., Zhang, L., & Lei, L. (2024) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-024-06315-8 · Cited by 4
“Rejection sensitivity (RS) refers to the tendency to anxiously or angrily anticipate, readily perceive, and react intensely to rejection (Downey & Feldman, 1996 ).”
Differences in emotional reactions following ostracism: A comparison between youth with and without personality pathology
van den Hanenberg, D. A. M., Schuiringa, H. D., Laceulle, O. M., Lucassen, I. G. M., Scholte, R. H. J., & van der Heijden, P. T. (2024) · Journal of Experimental Psychopathology · doi:10.1177/20438087241271674 · Cited by 1
“This sensitivity often leads to an exaggerated emotional response following perceived rejection signals (Downey & Feldman, 1996).”
Differentiating behavioural styles in cases of violent knife crime in England and Wales
Partington, Z. L., Walsh, R. S., & Labhardt, D. (2025) · Journal of Criminal Psychology · doi:10.1108/jcp-03-2024-0020 · Cited by 1
The vicious cycle of depression: A longitudinal serial mediation of rejection sensitivity and aggression
Liu, E. T.-H., & Lin, S. S. ‐. (2025) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-025-08466-8 · Cited by 1
“The Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (A-RSQ; Berenson et al., 2009), as an adaptation of the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ; Downey & Feldman, 1996), was employed to evaluate individuals’ rejection sensitivity within different contexts (e.g., familial, friendly, romantic).”
Influential
Detrimental Impact of Rejection Sensitivity in Marital Relationship
Sreehari, R., & Natarajan, G. (2014) · Psychological Studies · doi:10.1007/s12646-014-0243-0 · Cited by 2
“Attribution processes play a significant role in contributing to marital dissatisfaction, as HRS individuals attribute hurtful intentions to even innocuous behaviours of their spouses (Downey and Feldman 1996).”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
The Moderational Effects of Cognitive Emotion Regulation strategies in the Relationship between Rejection Sensitivity and Depressive Symptoms
류혜라, & Hwan, P. K. (2014) · Korean Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.17315/kjhp.2014.19.1.011 · Cited by 1
The Influence of Parent-Child Intimacy, Rejection Sensitivity, and Empathy on Dating Relationship Control in Women College Students
Lee, S. (2016) · International Journal of Advanced Nursing Education and Research · doi:10.21742/ijaner.2016.1.1.11 · Cited by 1
“To examine rejection sensitivity, we employed a Korean version of the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ) invented by Downey and Feldman [7], and translated and modified by Lee BD [8].”
Method
Hurt Feelings in Women: The Interaction of Social and Individual Difference Factors
Burchell, J., Gorelik, A., & Wilkinson, R. B. (2016) · Journal of Relationships Research · doi:10.1017/jrr.2015.12 · Cited by 1
“…has examined the link between self-esteem and hurtful experiences with respect to type of event (Vangelisti et al., 2005), rejection sensitivity (Downey & Feldman, 1996), and closeness (Murray et al., 2002), there is a need to extend research to look at the potential interactions between these…”
Background
Regulation of communal norms corresponding to partner responsiveness: The moderating effect of attachment anxiety
Miyazaki, G. (2015) · THE JAPANESE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY · doi:10.2130/jjesp.1408 · Cited by 1
The Relation between Self-Esteem and Romantic Relationship Satisfaction of College Students: The Mediator Effects of Rejection Sensitivity and Empathy
이인재, & YANG, N. M. (2015) · The Korea Journal of Youth Counseling · doi:10.35151/kyci.2015.23.1.009 · Cited by 1
Agresividad en el aula: Influencia de factores sociopsciológicos [medida y fiabilidad]
Vílchez, J. L. (2017) · Revista Iberoamericana de Psicología · doi:10.33881/2027-1786.rip.10210 · Cited by 1
Tracking Social Isolation, Academic Self-Effifacy and Adjustment to College
Connolly, S., Oberleitner, D. E., & Guarneri, J. A. (2019) · Journal of College Orientation Transition and Retention · doi:10.24926/jcotr.v25i1.2914 · Cited by 1
School Psychologists in Early Childhood Settings
Alfonso, V. C., Ruby, S. F., Wissel, A. M., & Davari, J. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108235532.033 · Cited by 1
Addressing “Won’t Do” Issues in Mathematics
Skinner, C. H., Wright, S. P., & McCallum, E. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108235532.003 · Cited by 1
Cross-Race/Ethnic Friendships in School
Graham, S., & Kogachi, K. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108235532.011 · Cited by 1
Pengaruh Agama Sebagai Identitas Sosial Terhadap Rejection Sensitivity Pada Mahasiswa Beragama Minoritas
Aisyah, B., & Yulianto, J. E. (2019) · Psychopreneur Journal · doi:10.37715/psy.v2i1.864 · Cited by 2
“…(Page-Gould, et al., 2010; Fiske & Taylor, 2014), kesulitan menyesuaikan diri (Mendoza-Denton et al., 2002), penurunan fungsi interpersonal (Downey & Feldman, 1996), rendahnya integrasi dengan lingkungan baru (Ozyurt, 2009), hingga memburuknya sikap terhadap institusi tempat individu…”
Background
The Effect of Childhood Trauma on Fear of Intimacy: The Mediating Role of Rejection Sensitivity
方, 大. (2021) · Advances in Psychology · doi:10.12677/ap.2021.115139 · Cited by 3
A Framework for Understanding Variation in Youth Revenge Motivations and Retaliatory Behaviors
McDonald, K. L., Yang, J. Y., Seo, S., & Erath, S. A. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108776684.002 · Cited by 1
Would Exposure Therapy be Effective for Reducing Rejection Sensitivity in Borderline Personality Disorder?
Lakatos, S. C. (2012) · Graduate Student Journal of Psychology · doi:10.52214/gsjp.v14i.10881 · Cited by 1

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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