Rukhsar Khan (BS, 2014-2018) Supervisor: Shiba Saeed
The aim of this study was to find out relationship between rejection sensitivity, social anxiety and social connectedness in young adults. The study further probed out predicting relation of rejection sensitivity and social anxiety for social connectedness. It also aimed to assess mediating relation of social anxiety between rejection sensitivity and social connectedness. Correlational research design was used and the sample comprised of young adults N = 207 studying at various public and private sector Universities of Lahore recruited via convenient sampling. Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire, Adult Version (Downey & Feldman, 1996), Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults (Caballo, Salazar, Irurtia, Arias, & CISO-A Research Team, 2010) and Social Connectedness Scale Revised (Lee & Robbins, 1995) were used. Results indicated positive relationship between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety but negative relationship between rejection sensitivity and social connectedness. Results of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) showed rejection sensitivity negatively predicted social connectedness; and positively predicted social anxiety, whereas social anxiety negatively predicted social connectedness. Moreover, results of SEM revealed mediating role of social anxiety between rejection sensitivity and social connectedness. These findings provide support for the notion that rejection sensitivity promotes internalizing difficulties like social anxiety and lack of social connectedness in adults.
Keywords: Rejection sensitivity, social anxiety, social connectedness, internalizing difficulties.
