Associations Between Rejection Sensitivity, Aggression, and Victimization: A Meta-Analytic Review.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• Rejection sensitivity (RS) describes an oversensitivity to social rejection, leading individuals to anticipate, perceive, and react strongly to perceived slights.
• Previous research has explored the links between RS and aggression/victimization, but findings have been inconsistent.
• This review synthesizes existing literature to clarify the strength of these associations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize primary research on the associations between rejection sensitivity and aggression.
• To systematically review and synthesize primary research on the associations between rejection sensitivity and victimization.
• To examine potential moderators influencing the RS-aggression and RS-victimization relationships.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search identified 52 relevant studies.
• Data from 66,405 participants were analyzed using three-level meta-analytic models.
• Effect sizes for RS-aggression and RS-victimization associations were synthesized, and moderators were examined.

Main Results:

• A small but significant positive association was found between RS and aggression (pooled r = .183).
• A significant association, slightly below moderate, was found between RS and victimization (pooled r = .298).
• The RS-aggression link was stronger for angry RS than anxious RS, and for reactive than proactive aggression.

Conclusions:

• Rejection sensitivity is significantly associated with both aggression and victimization.
• Findings have implications for clinical interventions targeting individuals with high RS.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the nuances of these relationships.