Rejection sensitivity, social withdrawal, and loneliness in young adults
Author(s)
Watson, John
Nesdale, Drew
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2012
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Rejection sensitivity (RS) has significant negative impacts on individuals' social cognitions, feelings, and interpersonal behaviors. The present research assessed the hypothesis that the effect of RS on young adults' loneliness is mediated by their tendency to withdraw from social contact so as to avoid possible rejection. Participants completed measures of their RS, their tendencies to engage in social withdrawal to avoid rejection, and their loneliness; as well as measures of their social avoidance and distress, self-esteem, and social self-efficacy. Results confirmed the main hypothesis and also indicated that RS ...
View more >Rejection sensitivity (RS) has significant negative impacts on individuals' social cognitions, feelings, and interpersonal behaviors. The present research assessed the hypothesis that the effect of RS on young adults' loneliness is mediated by their tendency to withdraw from social contact so as to avoid possible rejection. Participants completed measures of their RS, their tendencies to engage in social withdrawal to avoid rejection, and their loneliness; as well as measures of their social avoidance and distress, self-esteem, and social self-efficacy. Results confirmed the main hypothesis and also indicated that RS is positively related to social avoidance and distress, and negatively related to self-esteem and social self-efficacy. Implications of the findings for understanding and counteracting RS are discussed.
View less >
View more >Rejection sensitivity (RS) has significant negative impacts on individuals' social cognitions, feelings, and interpersonal behaviors. The present research assessed the hypothesis that the effect of RS on young adults' loneliness is mediated by their tendency to withdraw from social contact so as to avoid possible rejection. Participants completed measures of their RS, their tendencies to engage in social withdrawal to avoid rejection, and their loneliness; as well as measures of their social avoidance and distress, self-esteem, and social self-efficacy. Results confirmed the main hypothesis and also indicated that RS is positively related to social avoidance and distress, and negatively related to self-esteem and social self-efficacy. Implications of the findings for understanding and counteracting RS are discussed.
View less >
Journal Title
Journal of Applied Social Psychology
Volume
42
Issue
8
Subject
Marketing
Cognitive and computational psychology