Rejection Sensitivity and Anuptaphobia in Unmarried Women: The Moderating Role of Social Support
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v3i2.85Keywords:
Anuptaphobia, Rejection Sensitivity, Social Support, Unmarried WomenAbstract
The current study was conducted to explore the relationship of rejection sensitivity and anuptaphobia in unmarried women. Furthermore, how does perceived social support affect the relationship between rejection sensitivity and anuptaphobia? A sample of 300 unmarried women within the age range of 25–35 years (M = 27.30, SD = 2.49) were recruited through purposive sampling from different hostels, organizations, and universities in Lahore and Sialkot. A correlational research design was used for the study. The Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (Downey et al., 2006), the Fear of Being Single Scale (Spielmann et al., 2013), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988) were all used.The results of the correlational analysis showed that there is a non-significant positive relationship between rejection sensitivity and anuptaphobia. However, anuptaphobia has a positive significant relationship with age. Furthermore, findings of the regression analysis revealed that rejection sensitivity was not significant predictor of anuptaphobia and demographic variables (age, family system and socio-economic status) significantly predicted anuptaphobia. Although the findings of moderation analysis showed that there is no moderating role of social support on rejection sensitivity and anuptaphobia, the findings of this study will help mental health professionals in devising strategies to deal with rejection sensitivity, which can result in anuptaphobia.
References
Adamczyk, K. (2016). An Investigation of Loneliness and Perceived Social Support among Single and Partnered Young Adults. Current Psychology, 35(4), 674–689. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-015-9337-7
Arshad, A., Khadim, R. A., & Masood, A. (2018). Explaining Rejection Sensitivity among Adolescences as predicted by Perceived Differential Treatment of Parents. European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences, 7(3), pp-623.
Arshad, M., & Malik, F. (2013). Rejection Sensitivity, Self-Esteem and Depression in Acid Burn Victims. [An Unpublished manuscript] Clinical Unit, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Bonica, C, (1999). Rejection sensitivity, loneliness, social anxiety, and social withdrawal in children. Masters Theses (Unpublished). https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/2337
Dar, S.A. (2018, October 16). Being a Single Woman in 30s is Trouble. https://truthtracker.com.pk/2018/10/16/being-a-single-woman-in-30s-is-trouble/
De Rubeis, J., Lugo, R. G., Witthöft, M., Sütterlin, S., Pawelzik, M. R., & Vögele, C. (2017). Rejection sensitivity as a vulnerability marker for depressive symptom deterioration in men. PloS One, 12(10), e0185802. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185802
Dixon, R. B. (1978). Late marriage and non-marriage as demographic responses: are they similar? Population Studies, 32(3), 449-466. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00324728.1978.10412808
Downey, G., Berenson, K. R., & Kang, J. (2006). Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (A-RSQ) [Database record]. APAPsycTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t20086-000 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/t20086-000
Downey, G., & Feldman, S. I. (1996). Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70(6), 1327. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.70.6.1327
Downey, G., Mougios, V., Ayduk, O., London, B. E., & Shoda, Y. (2004). Rejection sensitivity and the defensive motivational system: Insights from the startle response to rejection cues. Psychological Science,15(10),668-673. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00738.x
Fernández B., Van den Noortgate, W., Goossens, L., & Vanhalst, J. (2019). Loneliness and social anxiety across childhood and adolescence: Multilevel meta-analyses of cross-sectional and longitudinal associations. Developmental Psychology, 55(7), 1548. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000719
Hafeez, E. (2015, November 14). The Delimma of a Single Woman in Pakistani Society. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dilemma-single-woman-pakistani-society-erum-hafeez/
Hall, C., Juhila, K., Matarese, M., & Van Nijnatten, C. (2013). Analysing Social Work Communication: Discourse in Practice. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203084960
Hayes, A. F. (2018). Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis A Regression-Based Approach (2nd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.
Hulsey, P. (2014, December 31). Rejection and Abandonment. https://www.biblicalcounselingdatabase.net/rejection-and-abandonment/
Hyde, K. C. (2020). Rejection Sensitivity and Social Support as Predictors of Peer Victimization Among Youth with Psychiatric Illness. University of Arkansas.
Kelliher, J. L. (2013). Personality, rejection sensitivity and perceptions of social support adequacy as predictors of college students' depressive symptoms. Western Carolina University. [Masters of Arts Thesis]. USA.
Lakey, B., & Cohen, S. (2000). Social support theory and measurement. In S. Cohen, L. G. Underwood, & B. H. Gottlieb (Eds.), Social support measurement and intervention: A guide for health and social scientists (pp. 29–52). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780195126709.003.0002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780195126709.003.0002
Leary M. R. (2015). Emotional responses to interpersonal rejection. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 17(4), 435–441. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.4/mleary DOI: https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.4/mleary
Li, Z., & Yang, X., (2008). Social Anxiety of College Students: Survey and Analysis. Journal of Huhan University of Science and Technology (Social Science Edition) 2, 77–80.
Mcdonald, K. L., Bowker, J. C., Rubin, K. H., Laursen, B., & Duchene, M. S. (2010). Interactions Between Rejection Sensitivity and Supportive Relationships in the Prediction of Adolescents’ Internalizing Difficulties. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(5), 563–574. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-010-9519-4
Moazzam, F. (2016, April 15). Are Pakistan’s “Still Unmarried” Women the Leftovers? https://tribune.com.pk/article/33829/are-pakistans-still-unmarried-women-the-leftovers
Morin, A. (2021, August 23). What is Rejection Sensitivity? https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-rejection-sensitivity-4682652
Nowland, R., Thomson, G., McNally, L., Smith, T., & Whittaker, K. (2021). Experiencing loneliness in parenthood: a scoping review. Perspectives in Public Health, 141(4), 214-225. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17579139211018243
Pepping, C. A., MacDonald, G., & Davis, P. J. (2018). Toward a psychology of singlehood: An Attachment-theory perspective on long-term singlehood. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(5), 324-331. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417752106
Pinquart, M., & Sorensen, S. (2001). Influences on loneliness in older adults: A meta analysis. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 23(4), 245-266. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324834BASP2304_2
Sharma, B. B. (2015). Behavioral ramifications in rejection sensitivity: Revisiting Horney's theory of the neurotic personality. International Journal of Education and Management Studies, 5(2), 164.
Slonim, G., Gur-Yaish, N., & Katz, R. (2015). By choice or by circumstance? Stereotypes of and feelings about single people. Studia Psychologica, 57(1), 35-48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21909/sp.2015.01.672
Spielmann, S. S., MacDonald, G., Maxwell, J. A., Joel, S., Peragine, D., Muise, A., & Impett, E.A. (2013). Settling for less out of fear of being single. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105(6), 1049. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034628
St?nculescu, E. (2016). Perceived social support and loneliness in early adolescents–A path analysis. Revista de psihologie, 62(2), 109-121.
Sultan, A., Yousuf, S., Jan, S., Hassan, U., & Jaan, U. (2018). Assessing perceived social support and marital satisfaction among fertile and infertile women. Age, 20(30), 55-71.
Sultana, A., Zeeshan, M., & Ahmed, F. (2021). Dilemmas of Singlehood in Contemporary Pakistani Culture: A Qualitative Study of Unheard Voices. Pakistan Journal of Gender Studies, 21(1), 1-18.
Taylor, S. E., Sherman, D. K., Kim, H. S., Jarcho, J., Takagi, K., &Dunagan, M. S. (2004). Culture and social support: Who seeks it and why?.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87(3), 354. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.87.3.354
Wang, J., Mann, F., Lloyd-Evans, B., Ma, R., & Johnson, S. (2018). Associations
between loneliness and perceived social support and outcomes of mental health problems: a systematic review. Bio Medical Central Psychiatry, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1736-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1736-5
Watson, J., & Nesdale, D. (2012). Rejection Sensitivity, Social Withdrawal, and Loneliness in Young Adults. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42(8), 1984– 2005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2012.00927.x
Webster, M. (2021). https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/rejection
Zafar, N., & Kausar R. (2013). Psychosocial Implications of Early Father Separation in Adolescents and their Mothers. [An Unpublished Manuscript] University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Zhou, J., Li, X., Tian, L., & Huebner, E. S. (2018). Longitudinal association between low self-esteem and depression in early adolescents: The role of rejection sensitivity and loneliness. Psychology and Psychotherapy, 93(1), 54-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12207
Zimet, G. D., Dahlem, N. W., Zimet, S. G., & Farley, G. K. (1988). The multidimensional scale of perceived social support. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52(1), 30-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Sajjal Ammara, Rabia Jameel
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License (https://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-Commercial use, reproduction
and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the Journal website at (https://iprpk.com/ojs/index.php/jpap)
