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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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Goodman, J., Fertuck, E., Chesin, M., Lichenstein, S., & Stanley, B. (2014) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2014.07.038 · Cited by 27
“The RSQ has been found to have high internal consistency, test-retest reliability and criterion-related validity (Downey & Feldman, 1996).”
BackgroundInfluential
Psychological-State Theories about Significant Others: Implications for the Content and Structure of Significant-Other Representations
Chen, S. (2003) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167203255226 · Cited by 29
Young People’s Experience of Mentoring: Building Trust and Attachments
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“…of subsequent research, have supported a strong relationship between insecure attachment experiences and the development of mental health problems and antisocial or offending behaviour (Carlson, Cicchetti, Barnett, & Braunwald, 1989; Cassidy & Shaver, 1999; Downey & Feldman, 1996; Sroufe, 1995).”
Result
The interaction between rejection sensitivity and emotional maltreatment in borderline personality disorder
Chesin, M., Fertuck, E., Goodman, J., Lichenstein, S., & Stanley, B. (2015) · Psychopathology · doi:10.1159/000365196 · Cited by 26
Trait Intolerance of Uncertainty Is Associated with Decreased Reappraisal Capacity and Increased Suppression Tendency
Shu, J., Ochsner, K. N., & Phelps, E. A. (2022) · Affective Science · doi:10.1007/s42761-022-00115-8 · Cited by 27
“A relevant factor may thus be rejection sensitivity, a construct that partly reflects intolerance for potential rejection in interpersonal situations (Downey & Feldman, 1996).”
Background
The Effects of Rejection Sensitivity on Reactive and Proactive Aggression
Jacobs, N., & Harper, B. (2012) · Aggressive Behavior · doi:10.1002/ab.21455 · Cited by 29
Career Development of Refugees
Zacher, H. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-25153-6_17 · Cited by 30
Impact of Status-Based Rejection Sensitivity on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Gay Men
Slimowicz, J. C., Siev, J., & Brochu, P. M. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17051546 · Cited by 25
“Rejection sensitivity is defined as the anxious expectation of rejection coupled with a tendency to readily perceive and interpret rejection in the ambiguous interpersonal behavior of others [12].”
Background
Predicting romantic interest during early relationship development: A preregistered investigation using machine learning
Eastwick, P. W., Joel, S., Carswell, K. L., Molden, D. C., Finkel, E. J., & Blozis, S. A. (2022) · European Journal of Personality · doi:10.1177/08902070221085877 · Cited by 37
The Relationship Between Parental Phubbing and Interpersonal Aggression in Adolescents: The Role of Rejection Sensitivity and School Climate
Zhao, J., Guo, Z., Shi, H., Yu, M., Jiao, L., & Xu, Y. (2023) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/08862605221145722 · Cited by 32
“This process is called rejection sensitivity (Downey & Feldman, 1996).”
BackgroundInfluential
Predictors of resilience among adolescents of low socio-economic status in India
Narayanan, A. (2015) · International Review of Psychiatry · doi:10.3109/09540261.2015.1066763 · Cited by 26
“The more students learn to expect rejection and become concerned about it in the school, the more sensitive they are to it, which can eventually lead to self-rejection (Downey et al., 2004; Downey & Feldman, 1996; Mendoza-Denton et al., 2002).”
On being the target of prejudice: Educational implications
Inzlicht, M., Aronson, J. M., & Mendoza‐Denton, R. (2009) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511804465.002 · Cited by 27
Relationship between Attachment Security and Rejection Sensitivity in Early Adolescence
Natarajan, G., Somasundaram, C. P., & Sundaram, K. R. (2011) · Psychological Studies · doi:10.1007/s12646-011-0108-8 · Cited by 29
“This would prompt affective and behavioral overreactions, which may include anger and hostility, despondency, withdrawal of support, or jealousy (Downey and Feldman 1996).”
Background
Individual Differences in Emotional Mimicry: Underlying Traits and Social Consequences
Mauersberger, H., Blaison, C., Kafetsios, K. G., Kessler, C., & Heß, U. (2015) · European Journal of Personality · doi:10.1002/per.2008 · Cited by 26
“Indeed, people sensitive to social rejection score above average in neuroticism and below average in agreeableness (Breines & Ayduk, 2015; Downey & Feldman, 1996; Engeser & Langens, 2010) and act hostile under threat of rejection (Ayduk et al., 2008; Kelly, 2001), for instance, by expressing…”
Background
Heightened emotional sensitivity intensifies associations between relational aggression and victimization among girls but not boys: A longitudinal study
Zimmer‐Gembeck, M. J., & Duffy, A. L. (2014) · Development and Psychopathology · doi:10.1017/s0954579414000303 · Cited by 26
“For example, in a study of intimate relationships, Downey and Feldman (1996) showed that high rejection-sensitive women were more hostile and emotionally unsupportive and high rejection-sensitive men were more jealous than their low rejection-sensitive counterparts.”
Background
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Clark, M. S., & Beck, L. A. (2010) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511761935.011 · Cited by 26
I Gave Too Much
Righetti, F., & Visserman, M. L. (2017) · Social Psychological and Personality Science · doi:10.1177/1948550617707019 · Cited by 27
“…self-esteem underestimate how positively they are viewed by their partner (Murray et al., 2000), they underestimate how much their partner loves them (Murray, Holmes, Griffin, Bellavia, & Roese, 2001), and how much the partner is committed and satisfied in the relationship (Downey & Feldman, 1996).”
Background
Understanding Worker Moods and Reactions to Rejection in Crowdsourcing
Gadiraju, U., & Demartini, G. (2019) · ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media (HT) · doi:10.1145/3342220.3343644 · Cited by 26
“Then workers were administered the A-RSQ (adult rejection sensitivity questionnaire).”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Developing an integrative social-cognitive strategy for personality assessment at the level of the individual: An illustration with regular cigarette smokers
Shadel, W. G., Cervone, D., NIAURA, R. S., & Abrams, D. B. (2003) · Journal of Research in Personality · doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2003.09.001 · Cited by 26
Discussing Disgust: The Role of Disgust with Life in Suicide
Chu, C., Buchman‐Schmitt, J. M., Michaels, M. S., Ribeiro, J. D., & Joiner, T. E. (2013) · International Journal of Cognitive Therapy · doi:10.1521/ijct.2013.6.3.235 · Cited by 29
An Expanded Approach to Batterer Intervention Programs Incorporating Neuroscience Research
Siegel, J. P. (2013) · Trauma Violence & Abuse · doi:10.1177/1524838013495982 · Cited by 29
Dispositional mindfulness, rejection sensitivity, and behavioural responses to rejection: The role of emotion regulation
Hafner, N., Pepping, C. A., & Wertheim, E. H. (2018) · Australian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/ajpy.12224 · Cited by 29
“Alternatively, some individuals respond to perceived rejection with anger, aggression, or controlling behaviours (Downey & Feldman, 1996).”
BackgroundInfluential
Effects of rejection intensity and rejection sensitivity on social approach behavior in women
Schaan, V., Schulz, A., Bernstein, M. J., Schächinger, H., & Vögele, C. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0227799 · Cited by 31
“Previous studies have not found gender differences with regard to RS [39, 72].”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Hivemind
Kim, W., Lee, S., Chang, Y., Lee, T., Hwang, I., & Song, J. (2021) · International Conference on Mobile Systems, Applications, and Services · doi:10.1145/3458864.3466626 · Cited by 27
“The requester undergoes a complicated psychological process to estimate how likely others would agree [103], and often feels disturbed by imagining the possible denial and resulting awkwardness [29, 39].”
Background
Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum (HEARTS): A feasibility test of an online class co-designed and co-taught with autistic people
Rothman, E. F., Holmes, L. G., Caplan, R., Chiang, M., Haberer, B., Gallop, N., Kadel, R., Person, M., Sanchez, A., Quinn, E. K., et al. (2022) · Autism · doi:10.1177/13623613211069421 · Cited by 27
“Rejection sensitivity was assessed through a 10-item rejection sensitivity scale inspired by an existing instrument, but rewritten to reflect contemporary modes of socializing (Downey & Feldman, 1996).”
Method
Environmental sensitivity predicts interpersonal sensitivity above and beyond Big Five personality traits
Tabak, B. A., Gupta, D., Sunahara, C. S., Alvi, T., Wallmark, Z., Lee, J., Fulford, D., Hudson, N. W., & Chmielewski, M. S. (2022) · Journal of Research in Personality · doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104210 · Cited by 31
“This sensitivity to rejection influences reactive emotional states based on the expectation of rejection in certain situations (Downey & Feldman, 1996; Downey et al., 1998; London et al., 2007).”
Background

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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