The Effect of Rejection Sensitivity on Fear of Intimacy in Emerging Adulthood

Abstract

Abstract. Background: This research examined fear of intimacy during emerging adulthood. We attempted to determine whether rejection sensitivity has any effect on fear of intimacy through the mediational effect of interpersonal anxiety. We also assumed that remembered parental acceptance can have a buffering effect on the above relationships. Methods: The sample was composed of 679 (280 male and 399 female) university students. Data collection was accomplished through the use of self-report questionnaires, which measured rejection sensitivity, fear of intimacy, interpersonal anxiety, and remembered parental acceptance. Analyses of mediation and moderation effects variables were conducted through the use of the PROCESS statistical software. Results: Analysis showed that there is a partial meditational effect of interpersonal anxiety on the relationship of rejection sensitivity to fear of intimacy. Further, remembered maternal acceptance had a protective effect on the development of fear of intimacy in young women who are sensitive to rejection and have high interpersonal anxiety. Discussion: Rejection sensitivity seems to have an effect on the development of fear of intimacy through increasing interpersonal anxiety, especially in females. These relationships seem to be moderated by maternal acceptance. Conclusion: Student counselling would be beneficial to help students in this transitional period become aware of anxious interpersonal patterns and regulate their reactivity when facing perceived rejection cues in their interpersonal relationships.

Hubungan antara Harga Diri dan Persepsi Pola Asuh dengan Ketakutan akan Intimasi pada Dewasa Awal yang Memiliki Orang Tua Bercerai

“…Regardless of the previous limitation pertaining to the analysis, future studies on fear of intimacy might need to consider other factors. For instance, parental rejection (Rohner et al, 2019), rejection sensitivity (Giovazolias & Paschalidi, 2022), and maladaptive cognitive schemata (Obeid et al, 2019) were recently reported to be associated with fear of intimacy. It would be interesting to see whether these studies could be replicated in Indonesian population.…”

“…Terlepas dari kelemahan analisis yang disebutkan sebelumnya, faktor lain mungkin perlu dipertimbangkan dalam kajian ketakutan akan intimasi. Misalnya, penolakan orang tua (Rohner dkk., 2019), sensitivitas terhadap penolakan (Giovazolias & Paschalidi, 2022), dan skema kognitif yang maladaptif (Obeid dkk., 2019) baru-baru ini ditemukan berkaitan dengan ketakutan akan intimasi. Faktor-faktor ini tentu saja menarik untuk dikaji dalam konteks Indonesia.…”

The Relationship of Rejection Sensitivity to Depressive Symptoms in Adolescence: The Indirect Effect of Perceived Social Acceptance by Peers

“…However, another line of research has emphasized the socially constructed relational direction of female identity, assuming that high rejection sensitive young females will be more likely to experience interpersonal distress such as a higher fear of intimacy compared to males [44]. Indeed, it has been supported that females appear to be more sensitive to social stimuli than males and are more likely to harm their relationships as a response to interpersonal stressful incidents [45] and that late female adolescents [46] as well as young female adults [39] report significantly greater RS and interpersonal anxiety than males. Other research has shown that male adolescents are more sensitive to signs of rejection when their social status is threatened [9], and this sensitivity combined with relatively underdeveloped emotional-supportive relationships may explain the higher levels of RS in males [47].…”

The Relationship Between Interpersonal Sensitivity and Emotion Regulation in Youths

“…Rejection sensitivity can be conceptualized as a defensive motivational system that may be rooted in early prolonged and repeated experiences of rejection by significant others (Pietrzak et al, 2005). It also predicts interpersonal anxiety and fear of intimacy in young adults (Giovazolias & Paschalidi, 2022). Although rejection sensitivity is used in some works interchangeably with interpersonal sensitivity (e.g., Harb et al, 2002), we regard these constructs as separate, which is corroborated by moderate correlations between rejection sensitivity and interpersonal sensitivity scales yielded in a study of gay men in the USA (Pachankis et al, 2008).…”