Individuals high in rejection sensitivity have a lower rates of dating success and a lower probability of being in a romantic relationship, but could engaging in online dating improve the likelihood? The goal of this research is to determine whether individuals higher in rejection sensitivity indicate having more success in meeting potential romantic partners online when compared to meeting potential partners conventionally. It is hypothesized that individuals higher in rejection sensitivity will be more successful on first dates when initiated though online dating sites / apps rather than through more conventional ways of meeting potential romantic partners. An online survey was created asking participants to complete the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire to evaluate the level of anxiety experienced when faced with potential rejection, the Online Dating Inventory to assess engagement in online dating, and the Conventional Offline Dating Inventory, a measure created by the researchers to assess behaviors that allow the participants to meet possible romantic partners in every day life through non-internet activities. Success is operationally defined according to the goals participants had going into the date and whether or not that goal was achieved. Data collection is still ongoing; however, we expect to see significantly more success for participants higher in rejection sensitivity when initiating through online dating websites. To ensure external validity, data are being collected from two different articipation pools. Currently the survey is being administered through Sona to reach college students and these are the data that will be presented. The survey will also be uploaded to Amazon’s Mechanical Turk to reach older adults. If our hypothesis is correct, this would indicate that online dating may benefit those individuals who are high in rejection sensitivity as it could give them an alternative avenue to initiating romantic relationships and possibly finding success in those relationships.

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Rejection sensitivity is defined as the tendency to expect and look for rejection in ambiguous social situations. Individuals high in rejection sensitivity may interpret ambiguous or benign action to be situations of rejection, which may negatively impact these individuals’ intimate relationships. Research suggests that rejection sensitivity may manifest differently for men and women, such that men are more likely to be jealous and controlling, whereas women are more likely to be unsupportive and hostile. These reactions to ambiguous situations may influence the way rejection sensitive individuals seek help. To our knowledge, there is no research available that examines the link between rejection sensitivity and helpseeking behaviors. Williams and Mickelson (2008) found that stigmatized, low-income women who fear rejection were more likely to engage in indirect help-seeking behavior (e.g., complained about their problems in a general way) than direct help-seeking behavior (e.g., gave details about the problem), which resulted in lower levels of support. However, this one prior study examined only one item of fear of rejection, which actually tapped into worry about the support network not providing support if sought. The current study extended that prior research by examining similar hypotheses except using a more extensive measure of trait rejection sensitivity. Additional outcome variables were tested including anxiety and self esteem. We hypothesized that individuals high in rejection sensitivity would seek help indirectly, which would in turn link with high anxiety and low self-esteem, while those individuals low in rejection sensitivity would seek help directly which would in turn link with low anxiety and high self-esteem. Additionally, we hypothesized that type of help seeking would be related to network response such that indirect help seeking would be related to increased negative network response (e.g., attempt to change the topic) and decreased positive network response (e.g., sympathy), with direct help seeking being related to the inverse. Given the gender differences in experience of rejection sensitivity reported in the literature, these differences were also be explored. The current study was a cross-sectional design, in which participants (N = 381) completed a one-time online survey. The majority of participants were female (68.6%) and Caucasian (90%) with an average age of 20.82. Initial analyses revealed support for the proposed hypotheses. Rejection sensitivity was positively correlated with indirect help seeking (r =.110, p < .05) and negatively correlated with direct help seeking (r = -.133, p < .01). While direct help seeking was positively correlated with positive network response, indirect help seeking was related to both positive network response and negative network response (all ps < .01). Indirect help seeking was also positively correlated with anxiety and negatively correlated with self-esteem (all ps < .01). Findings are consistent with previous work on the negative outcomes among individuals high in rejection sensitivity, and that perhaps in part these individuals behave in ways that foster rejection. The current findings suggest future research should examine the relationship between rejection sensitivity, help seeking, and outcomes using an experimental or longitudinal design in order to capture the temporal ordering of the correlational relations reported here.

Rejection sensitivity is defined as the tendency to expect and look for rejection in ambiguous social situations. Individuals high in rejection sensitivity may interpret ambiguous or benign action to be situations of rejection, which may negatively impact these individuals’ intimate relationships. Research suggests that rejection sensitivity may manifest differently for men and women, such that men are more likely to be jealous and controlling, whereas women are more likely to be unsupportive and hostile. These reactions to ambiguous situations may influence the way rejection sensitive individuals seek help. To our knowledge, there is no research available that examines the link between rejection sensitivity and helpseeking behaviors. Williams and Mickelson (2008) found that stigmatized, low-income women who fear rejection were more likely to engage in indirect help-seeking behavior (e.g., complained about their problems in a general way) than direct help-seeking behavior (e.g., gave details about the problem), which resulted in lower levels of support. However, this one prior study examined only one item of fear of rejection, which actually tapped into worry about the support network not providing support if sought. The current study extended that prior research by examining similar hypotheses except using a more extensive measure of trait rejection sensitivity. Additional outcome variables were tested including anxiety and self esteem. We hypothesized that individuals high in rejection sensitivity would seek help indirectly, which would in turn link with high anxiety and low self-esteem, while those individuals low in rejection sensitivity would seek help directly which would in turn link with low anxiety and high self-esteem. Additionally, we hypothesized that type of help seeking would be related to network response such that indirect help seeking would be related to increased negative network response (e.g., attempt to change the topic) and decreased positive network response (e.g., sympathy), with direct help seeking being related to the inverse. Given the gender differences in experience of rejection sensitivity reported in the literature, these differences were also be explored. The current study was a cross-sectional design, in which participants (N = 381) completed a one-time online survey. The majority of participants were female (68.6%) and Caucasian (90%) with an average age of 20.82. Initial analyses revealed support for the proposed hypotheses. Rejection sensitivity was positively correlated with indirect help seeking (r =.110, p < .05) and negatively correlated with direct help seeking (r = -.133, p < .01). While direct help seeking was positively correlated with positive network response, indirect help seeking was related to both positive network response and negative network response (all ps < .01). Indirect help seeking was also positively correlated with anxiety and negatively correlated with self-esteem (all ps < .01). Findings are consistent with previous work on the negative outcomes among individuals high in rejection sensitivity, and that perhaps in part these individuals behave in ways that foster rejection. The current findings suggest future research should examine the relationship between rejection sensitivity, help seeking, and outcomes using an experimental or longitudinal design in order to capture the temporal ordering of the correlational relations reported here.

Those high in rejection sensitivity (RS) have expectations of being rejected by others, and often construe vague interpersonal cues as rejection, and react to rejection whether it is true or perceived (Downy & Feldman, 1996). Williams and Mickelson (2008) suggest fear of rejection may guide individuals to seek support through indirect (rather than direct) behaviors, which are associated with low social support. Indeed, Brookings, Zembar and Hochstetler explored personalities of high-RS individuals and found individuals with high-RS likely avoid situations where rejection is possible and remain detached from others rather than attempting close relationships (2001). This study examines RS and the choice to disclose or not to disclose personally negative (i.e., stigmatizing) information to a potentially close individual (friend, family). While previous research has explored this relation using a crude measure of fear of rejection, we expanded that prior work by assessing RS with a well established scale. In addition, the current study explores specific characteristics of a stigmatizing identity (saliency, visibility, secrecy, and thinking about) and their relation with both RS and help seeking. Our hypotheses are that as RS increases direct help seeking will decrease and indirect help seeking will increase. In addition, we believe that the characteristics of a stigmatizing identity would be related to high levels of RS, as well as increased indirect seeking and decreased direct seeking. We collected data from 659 (69% female) students at a southeastern university through participation in an online survey. We tested our hypothesis with bivariate correlations and found that direct help seeking behaviors were negatively correlated with RS (r= -.166; p =.01) and indirect help seeking behaviors were positively correlated with RS (r=.183; p=.01). Secrecy was positively correlated with RS and indirect help seeking (r=.190 and r=.199 respectively; p =.01) and negatively correlated with direct help seeking (r= -.191; p =.01).

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The fundamental need to belong is considered one of the most basic human requirements, and universally motivates human behaviour. When this need to belong is not met, it increases the risk of mental health problems like depression, which was of interest in this dissertation. Due to the psychological consequences of not being accepted by others, humans are very attuned to perceived threats to belonging and have developed types of defense mechanisms to protect themselves against social exclusion. One such defense mechanism is rejection sensitivity, and the role of rejection sensitivity as it relates to depression was the underlying theme of this dissertation. Along with rejection sensitivity, there exist external and internal factors that serve as threats to belonging, and which are associated with depression. Two of these factors, rejection (an interpersonal factor) and perfectionism (an intrapersonal factor) were examined in relation to depression. Study 1 focused on peer rejection and the developmental pathways involved in its relation to rejection sensitivity, depression, and aggression in adolescence. Results showed that rejection and rejection sensitivity were preceded by either depression or aggression across adolescence, and although depression initiated the cascade leading to rejection sensitivity, there was a bidirectional relation across late adolescence as rejection sensitivity also predicted future depression. Study 2 focused on two types of perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented and socially prescribed), including the developmental pathways associated with their relation to rejection sensitivity and depression in adolescence. Socially prescribed perfectionism was directly related to future depression and rejection sensitivity mediated the relation between self-oriented perfectionism and depression. Depression initiated the cascade leading to rejection sensitivity and supported a bidirectional relation across late adolescence. Study 3 also focused on perfectionism, but cross-sectionally in young adults, and examined three types of perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented, socially prescribed, and other-oriented). Rejection sensitivity and socially prescribed perfectionism were positively related to depression, and other-oriented perfectionism was negatively related to depression; however, self-oriented perfectionism did not contribute significantly to depression. Contrary to what was predicted, rejection sensitivity was not a significant moderator in the relation between perfectionism and depression. Overall, rejection sensitivity, a defense mechanism against threats to the need to belong, played a significant role in the development and maintenance of depression in the absence of actual rejection, as well as in conjunction with specific types of perfectionism.

Splenectomy has been reported to have a beneficial effect in treating Acute antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR). This reason for this often rapid and profound beneficial effect is not readily apparent from what is known about normal splenic immunoarchitecture. While the spleen is rich in mature B cells, it has not been noted to be a repository for direct antibody-secreting cells. We present a case of a Native American female who received a renal transplant and developed a severe episode of ABMR. The patient was initially refractory to both plasmapheresis and IVIG. The patient underwent an emergent splenectomy with almost immediate improvement in her renal function and a rapid drop in her DR51 antibodies. Immunohistochemical stains of the spleen demonstrated abundant clusters of CD138+ plasma cells (>10% CD138 cells as opposed to 1% CD138 cells as seen in traumatic controls). Though this is a single case, these findings offer a rationale for the rapid ameliorative effect of splenectomy in cases of antibody rejection. It is possible that the spleen during times of excessive antigenic stress may rapidly turn over B cells to active antibody-secreting cells or serve as a reservoir for these cells produced at other sites. © 2010 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第18871号 / 医博第3982号 / 新制||医||1008(附属図書館) / 31822 / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 川口 義弥, 教授 三森 経世, 教授 髙折 晃史 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM