Rejection sensitivity involves two main reactions to potential rejection: expecting rejection and feeling anxious or angry while anticipating it.
In children, rejection sensitivity can lead to worrying, withdrawing, or becoming angry and hostile. To avoid rejection, they might conform, try too hard to please others, or lose their assertiveness. This trait is also a strong indicator of depression, even before symptoms appear.
A study from the University of Georgia reveals how fear of rejection influences children’s behavior in peer groups. Kids anxious about rejection tend to work harder academically, follow rules, and avoid troublemaking.
However, those who expect rejection outright are less likely to conform to classroom norms or popular trends, showcasing how different types of rejection sensitivity shape social dynamics.
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Recent research from the University of Georgia, led by graduate Cayenne Predix, sheds light on how children navigate peer dynamics during a critical stage of development. The study involved over 350 fourth and fifth graders, who answered questionnaires to evaluate their likelihood of following friends’ behaviors in academics, trend-following, and troublemaking.
This age marks a unique phase when children actively learn to navigate their social networks and understand their role and status within their friend groups. While they enjoy friendships and activities, one of their main developmental tasks is figuring out how to fit in, a process that greatly shapes their behavioral choices and social identity.
Research has found that children’s emotional and cognitive responses to rejection play a more substantial role in shaping their behavior than witnessing acts like bullying or gossip. Anxious children are more likely to align with positive group behaviors, such as avoiding disruptions and participating academically.
Conversely, children who anticipate rejection tend to resist conforming, both in academic settings and to social trends. This highlights how individual perceptions of rejection drive social and academic choices.
The study emphasizes the importance of addressing emotional and cognitive rejection sensitivity when examining conformity, particularly in cases involving relational aggression within friendship groups. Future research aims to delve deeper into how the norms within these groups shape children’s sensitivity to rejection and their tendency to conform.
Journal Reference:
- Predix, C. J., Lease, A. M., Kim, M., & Kwon, K. (2025). The Role of Rejection Sensitivity and Relational Victimization Within the Friendship Group on Conformity Intentions. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 0(0). DOI: 10.1177/02724316241311934
Source: Tech Explorist
