Lyu Muhua, Xiong Yuke, Wang Hui, Yang Liu, Chen Jiahui, Ren Ping
Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
Institute of Higher Education, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China.
J Adolesc. 2025 Jan;97(1):137-147. doi: 10.1002/jad.12405. Epub 2024 Sep 20.
Rejection sensitivity is considered a risk factor for loneliness; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Adopting the constructs of exposure, reactivity, and exposure-reactivity from the personality framework, this study investigated three models of rejection sensitivity, bullying victimization, and loneliness to reveal why rejection sensitivity leads to loneliness among Chinese early adolescents.
Using a longitudinal design, three-wave data were obtained (with approximately 6-month intervals) from 2381 Chinese early adolescents (51.2% boys at Time 1, M = 13.38, SD = 0.59) from 7 secondary schools. Students reported on their rejection sensitivity at Time 1, bullying victimization at Times 1 and 2, and their loneliness at Times 2 and 3. A longitudinal moderated mediation model was conducted to analyze the association between variables.
Path analyses demonstrated that rejection sensitivity was associated with greater loneliness for adolescents in which association was mediated by bullying victimization. High levels of rejection sensitivity exacerbate the adverse effect of bullying victimization on loneliness. Furthermore, in line with the differential exposure-reactivity model, the effect of rejection sensitivity on loneliness mediated by bullying victimization only existed for high rejection-sensitive adolescents.
The findings emphasize the dual role of rejection sensitivity in the development process of adolescents' loneliness and highlight the importance of identifying rejection-sensitive adolescents for intervention and prevention efforts.
拒绝敏感性被认为是孤独感的一个风险因素；然而，其潜在机制仍不明确。本研究采用人格框架中的暴露、反应性和暴露-反应性结构，探究了拒绝敏感性、受欺凌受害情况和孤独感的三种模型，以揭示在中国青少年早期中，拒绝敏感性为何会导致孤独感。
采用纵向设计，从7所中学的2381名中国青少年早期学生（第一次测量时男生占51.2%，M = 13.38，SD = 0.59）中获取了三波数据（间隔约6个月）。学生们报告了他们在第一次测量时的拒绝敏感性、在第一次和第二次测量时的受欺凌受害情况，以及在第二次和第三次测量时的孤独感。进行纵向调节中介模型分析变量之间的关联。
路径分析表明，拒绝敏感性与青少年更高的孤独感相关，这种关联由受欺凌受害情况介导。高拒绝敏感性会加剧受欺凌受害情况对孤独感的不利影响。此外，与差异暴露-反应性模型一致，由受欺凌受害情况介导的拒绝敏感性对孤独感的影响仅存在于高拒绝敏感的青少年中。
研究结果强调了拒绝敏感性在青少年孤独感发展过程中的双重作用，并突出了识别拒绝敏感青少年进行干预和预防工作的重要性。
