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Regulating the interpersonal self: strategic self-regulation for coping with rejection sensitivity
O Ayduk1, R Mendoza-Denton, W Mischel
1Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10025, USA. ozlem@psych.columbia.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|November 18, 2000
Summary
Children with better self-control, measured by delay of gratification (DG), showed fewer problems even when sensitive to rejection. This early self-regulation skill protects against later interpersonal and personal distress.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Rejection sensitivity (RS) is linked to anxiety and interpersonal distress.
- Self-regulation strategies, like attention deployment, may buffer these negative effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if self-regulation, specifically delay of gratification (DG) ability, moderates the relationship between RS and maladaptive outcomes.
- To examine the long-term protective effects of early self-regulation on individuals high in RS.
Main Methods:
- Two studies assessed children's DG ability (a measure of self-regulation).
- Study 1 followed preschoolers for 20 years; Study 2 assessed middle schoolers.
- Rejection sensitivity and various maladaptive outcomes were measured.
Main Results:
- DG ability buffered individuals high in RS from interpersonal difficulties like aggression and peer rejection.
- Higher DG ability was associated with diminished personal distress, including lower self-worth and drug use.
- The protective effect on self-worth was mediated by reduced interpersonal problems.
Conclusions:
- Early developed self-regulation skills, particularly delay of gratification, can protect individuals with high rejection sensitivity from negative interpersonal and personal outcomes.
- Strategic attention deployment is a key self-regulation mechanism that may explain these buffering effects.