Fear of Rejecting Others: An Overlooked Construct in Dating Anxiety

Abstract

Dating anxiety may significantly impair the formation of romantic relationships. Given the clinical importance of dating anxiety, understanding underlying cognitive features is imperative to determine appropriate treatment. Research on romantic relationship termination and partner choice suggests individuals with dating anxiety, in addition to fearing rejection, may fear rejecting potential romantic partners. This study examined the relation between dating-specific fear of negative evaluation (DFNE), fear of positive evaluation (FPE), and fear of rejecting others (FRO) to identify potentially relevant cognitive factors to dating anxiety. We found that FRO and FPE were significantly and positively related to DFNE. We also found that FRO had a significant relation to DFNE after accounting for FPE. Implications of our findings are discussed.

Appearance Orientation and Dating Anxiety in Emerging Adults: Considering the Roles of Appearance-Based Rejection Sensitivity, Social Physique Anxiety, and Self-Compassion

“…Dating anxiety was measured using the Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) subscale of the Dating Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (DAS–A; Glickman & La Greca, 2004 ), which is consistent with previous measurement of this construct (Rizvi et al, 2022 ). The 10-item FNE subscale measures the degree to which an individual is concerned or worried that a date or member of the opposite sex will judge them in a negative manner (sample items: “I am afraid that the person I am dating will find fault with me” and “I am concerned when I think that a date is forming a negative impression of me”).…”

Who is more willing to engage in social rejection? The roles of self-esteem, rejection sensitivity, and negative affect in social rejection decisions

“…It is clear that ending a relationship is depressing-for example, in a meta-analysis of 21 studies, the dissolution of relationships was positively associated with depressive symptoms (Mirsu-Paun & Oliver, 2017). It is also evident that rejecting is anxiety-provoking, especially within the context of a relationship (Rizvi et al, 2021). Furthermore, both depressive and anxiety symptoms are associated with the experience of romantic rejection (e.g., Field et al, 2009;Kansky & Allen, 2018).…”