Longitudinal Relations between Rejection Sensitivity and Adjustment in Chinese Children: Moderating Effect of Emotion Regulation

The goal of the present study was to examine the moderating effect of emotion regulation in the longitudinal relations between rejection sensitivity and indices of adjustment among Chinese children. Participants were N = 590 children (Mage= 11.25 years, SD = 1.33) attending public elementary and middle schools in Shanghai, P.R. China. Measures of anxious rejection sensitivity and socio-emotional functioning were collected via self-reports and peer nominations. Among the results, rejection sensitivity significantly predicted higher levels of later internalizing problems. Moreover, emotion regulation significantly moderated (i.e. buffering effect) the relations between rejection sensitivity and later peer and emotional difficulties. The current findings suggest that rejection sensitivity poses developmental risk over time, but emotion regulation may serve as a protective factor for Chinese youth. Results are discussed in terms of the implications of rejection sensitivity and emotion regulation in Chinese culture.