Rejection Sensitivity Inventory

Past research shows that individuals are sensitive to rejection. Sensitivity to social rejection involves a tendency to anxious expectations and overreaction. Individuals vary in their sensitivity to rejection, which is significantly molded by the culture, influencing interpersonal relationship prospects. No earlier studies have validated the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ; Downey & Feldman in Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships, 1996) with 18 items (each item with two aspects indicating the anxious-expectation category). To that end, in the present study, we aimed to examine the validity and psychometric properties of the 18 items RSQ, using a sample of young adults from India aged between 18 and 24 years (N = 424; Male = 220; Female = 204) in Indian cultural context. The results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed that the one-factor model with 18 items did not show good model fit (χ2(135) = 592.036; p < 0.001; CFI = .713; RMSEA = .089). But when an item with a low estimate was removed, the model did show a good fit (χ2(118) = 372.287; p < 0.001; CFI = .836; RMSEA = .071; SRMR = .0622) in the Indian cultural context. The scale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.820). This chapter will also include the results of convergent validity and measurement invariance across gender.