Prior research suggests that rejection sensitive individuals may find it easier to express their true selves in an online environment. The purpose of the present study was to further examine the influence of true self, which is who a person believes he or she truly is, on the relationship between rejection sensitivity and online dating site usage. Additionally, the present study investigated the role of self-disclosure in online dating site usage. Five-hundred sixty one participants completed an online survey. Consistent with prior research, results indicated that rejection sensitivity and true self predicted online dating site usage. Further, true self partially mediated the relationship between rejection sensitivity and online dating site usage. Self-disclosure in online environments, however, did not influence the relationship between rejection sensitivity and online dating site use. In addition, for those who engaged in online dating, rejection sensitivity was not related to self-disclosure in online dating profiles or in communicating with individuals met through online dating sites. True self, though, was related to both self-disclosure in online dating profiles and in communication with those met through online dating sites. These findings suggest that rejection sensitive individuals are more likely to engage in online dating because it may facilitate representation of their “true” selves. Furthermore, rejection sensitivity may not facilitate individuals’ self-disclosure in online environments, whereas the desire to share one’s “true” self may facilitate self-disclosure in online environments.

Although prior research has examined how individual difference factors are related to relationship initiation and formation over the Internet (e.g., online dating sites, social networking sites), little research has examined how dispositional factors are related to other aspects of online dating. The present research therefore sought to examine the relationship between several dispositional factors, such as Big-Five personality traits, self-esteem, rejection sensitivity, and attachment styles, and the use of online dating sites and online dating behaviors. Rejection sensitivity was the only dispositional variable predictive of use of online dating sites whereby those higher in rejection sensitivity are more likely to use online dating sites than those lower in rejection sensitivity. We also found that those higher in rejection sensitivity, those lower in conscientiousness, and men indicated being more likely to engage in potentially risky behaviors related to meeting an online dating partner face-to-face. Further research is needed to further explore the relationships between these dispositional factors and online dating behaviors.

Prior research suggests that rejection sensitive individuals may find it easier to express their true selves in an online environment. The purpose of the present study was to examine the extent to which rejection sensitivity (RS) and true self influence self-disclosure within the context of online dating. We collected data from a total of 1,295 individuals who completed an online survey. For those who engaged in online dating, RS was not directly related to self-disclosure in online dating profiles or in communicating with individuals met through online dating sites/apps, but true self was. In addition, there was an indirect relationship between RS and self-disclosure in the context of online dating through true self. These findings suggest that rejection sensitive individuals who feel more comfortable revealing aspects of their "true"selves online may be more likely to engage in self-disclosure within the context of online dating, which could potentially offer some clue as to why rejection sensitive individuals may be somewhat more likely to engage in online dating than less rejection sensitive individuals. That is, rejection sensitive individuals are perhaps more likely to engage in online dating because it may facilitate representation of their "true"selves and may thus increase dating success.

Prior research (Blackhart et al., 2014) found that rejection-sensitive individuals are more likely to use online dating sites. The purpose of the current research was to explain the relationship between rejection sensitivity and online dating site usage. Study 1 examined whether true self mediated the relation between rejection sensitivity and online dating. Study 2 sought to replicate the findings of Study 1 and to examine whether self-disclosure moderated the relationship between true self and online dating in the mediation model. Results replicated those found by Blackhart et al. and also found that true self mediated the relationship between rejection sensitivity and online dating site usage. These findings suggest that rejection-sensitive individuals feel they can more easily represent their “true” selves in online environments, such as online dating sites, which partially explains why they are more likely to engage in online dating.

Rejection sensitivity (RS) is defined as the tendency to anxiously anticipate, perceive, and overreact to real or perceived rejection and can have significant effects on interpersonal relationships. Previous research has shown the negative social effects of RS, particularly in the context of romantic relationships, but less is known about the cognitive implications of having high levels of RS. Specifically, it is unclear whether a heightened sensitivity to rejection is associated with enhanced error processing or feedback evaluation. The current study used EEG to examine the effect of RS on two event-related potential (ERP) components associated with error monitoring and feedback evaluation, error-related negativity (ERN) and feedback-related negativity (FRN), respectively. Participants completed a Flanker task during which they received either social (faces) or nonsocial (symbols) feedback about their performance. Results showed an increased ERN on error trials for individuals with higher RS. Although the FRN was not influenced by RS, there was an expectancy-valence interaction. FRN amplitude was also sensitive to condition, with correct feedback eliciting significantly more negative FRN in the social condition compared to the nonsocial condition; FRN for unexpected feedback was also greater in the social condition. Overall, the results suggest a relationship between error monitoring and RS, as well as a relationship between social information and feedback processing. Future research should further explore the relationship between rejection sensitivity, attention, and social feedback processing.

This study quantitatively measures dissociation, rejection sensitivity, and identity distress among adults who experienced adoption as a child and the relationship between these factors. This study also compares groups of adoptees recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and social media to assess whether these two recruitment methods achieve similar results. An online survey was conducted of adopted adults and non-adopted adults to serve as controls using both MTurk and social media. A total of 539 participants were recruited representing 151 non-adopted individuals recruited exclusively through Mturk, and 388 adoptees, 247 of whom were recruited through MTurk and 141 through social media. Significant differences were found between adopted and non-adopted groups on the measures of dissociation, rejection sensitivity, and identity. Both rejection sensitivity and dissociation were also found to be significant mediating factors between adoption status and measures of identity. Significant differences were also found between adoptee recruitment methods on measures of dissociation, identity distress and rejection sensitivity with large effect sizes for dissociation and identity distress and a small effect size for rejection sensitivity. Implications for consideration in a clinical setting are discussed as well as potential areas of future research.

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No description available.

The thesis aim was to increase understanding of interpersonal antecedents and consequences of rumination, defined as ‘repetitive and passive thinking about one’s symptoms of depression and the possible causes and consequences of those symptoms’ (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2004, p.107). As a proof-of-principle study, rumination predicted diminished relationship satisfaction, three months later, in a sample of remitted depressed adults (N = 57). In the next study, rumination was associated with a maladaptive submissive interpersonal style and rejection sensitivity, controlling for depressive symptoms, other interpersonal styles and gender, in a different sample (N = 103 currently depressed, previously depressed and never depressed adults). Subsequent chapters incorporated a second assessment point of data from this same sample. Longitudinal analyses were undertaken to investigate; a) do rumination and depressogenic interpersonal factors predict future depression?; b) does rumination prospectively predict increased rejection sensitivity and submissive interpersonal behaviours, and, vice-versa, do these interpersonal factors predict increased rumination?; c) does rumination prospectively predict poor social adjustment and interpersonal stress? Consistent with previous findings, Time 1 rumination predicted increased depression six months later. Unexpectedly, the effect of rumination on future depression was mediated by its relationship with the submissive interpersonal style. Partially consistent with the stated predictions, Time 1 rejection sensitivity (but not the submissive interpersonal style) prospectively predicted increased rumination, but rumination did not predict rejection sensitivity or the submissive interpersonal style. As predicted, rumination prospectively predicted increased chronic interpersonal stress and poor social adjustment (but not acute interpersonal stress). In a final study, rumination was manipulated via an applied intervention (concreteness training, CT), within the context of a randomized controlled trial (N = 79 clinically depressed adults). Analyses compared the change in social adjustment and submissive interpersonal behaviour reported in the CT condition compared to a treatment as usual (TAU) condition. There was a significantly greater reduction in rumination in the CT compared to TAU condition, p < .05. Moreover, the reduction in submissive interpersonal behaviours was significantly greater in the CT compared to TAU condition, p < .05. The change in social adjustment was not greater in the CT compared to TAU condition. Thus, a psychological intervention which reduces rumination decreased maladaptive submissive interpersonal behaviour. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to theory of rumination and interpersonal theories of depression.

The possibility that lifestyle factors may delay or accelerate cognitive decline in aging has garnered significant attention and a considerable body of research has formed. However, investigating the relations between social engagement and cognitive function in aging have been somewhat equivocal in their findings and there is a lack of understanding of the mechanisms by which social engagement may impact cognitive function and the role of factors limiting social engagement. The aim of this dissertation was to build on current understanding of how specific aspects of social relationships relate to cognitive functioning in older adulthood and how these aspects are affected by challenges and barriers to social participation. This dissertation is comprised of three studies addressing several specific research questions. Study one (Chapter 2) examined whether relations with cognitive performance over time differ for structural aspects of social relationships (social network and social contact) versus functional/subjective aspects of social relationships (loneliness and social support) and whether the associations are between cognitive performance and stable, “trait-like” components of social relationships or fluctuating “state-like” components of these constructs, using autoregressive latent trajectory modeling of data from the Health and Retirement Study. Study two (Chapter 3) used a multilevel modeling approach to examine whether the spouses/partners of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia experience a within person decline in cognitive performance and whether changes in structural and functional/subjective aspects of social relationships interacted with a spouses’ diagnosis of memory disease to predict within person change in cognitive performance. Study three (Chapter 4) investigated whether rejection sensitivity, social avoidance, and fears of negative social evaluations were predictive of lack of social participation and loneliness in a sample of Vancouver Island older adults. These factors have previously been investigated in younger adults as risk factors for loneliness and social withdrawal, but social isolation in older adulthood is often attributed to lack of social opportunities. This dissertation demonstrates the importance of considering precise aspects of social relationships, including barriers to social participation, and their relations to cognitive functioning. / Graduate / 2019-12-12