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The effects of rejection sensitivity on reactive and proactive aggression
1Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. nicky.jacobs@monash.edu
Aggressive Behavior
|October 24, 2012
Summary
Children with rejection sensitivity (RS) show higher aggression. Angry expectations of rejection are linked to proactive aggression, while anxious expectations predict reactive aggression in adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Rejection sensitivity (RS) is a dispositional sensitivity to the experience of social rejection.
- Understanding the link between RS and aggressive behavior in children is crucial for intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between rejection sensitivity and aggressive behavior in primary school children.
- To examine how components of RS, such as angry and anxious expectations of rejection, relate to different types of aggression (proactive and reactive).
Main Methods:
- A sample of 287 Australian primary school students (aged 9-12) completed self-report measures.
- Assessed generalized aggression (GA), proactive aggression, reactive aggression, and RS components (angry and anxious expectations).
Main Results:
- Rejection sensitivity was significantly linked to generalized aggression in adolescents.
- Angry expectations of rejection were more strongly associated with generalized and proactive aggression.
- RS predicted reactive aggression more effectively than proactive aggression, with a significant three-way interaction observed.
Conclusions:
- Rejection sensitivity is a significant predictor of aggressive behavior in children.
- The findings clarify the attributional processes underlying the link between RS and aggression.
- This research extends existing knowledge on RS and aggression in developmental and social psychology contexts.
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