Associations of mothers' rejection sensitivity with children's cognitions about peer rejection and social self-perceptions

The mediating role of maternal supportive behaviors

Bibliographic Data

ID2932804
AuthorsEsther Polachek (University of Haifa), Nurit Gur-Yaish (0000-0002-1888-9536, Oranim Academic College of Education, corresponding author), Efrat Sher‐censor (0000-0003-2961-3129, University of Haifa), Efrat Sher-Censor, Yair Ziv (0000-0002-2470-0904, University of Haifa)
Year2023
Volume40
Issue6
Pages1792-1809
Publication date2023-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social and Personal Relationships (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0265-4075 • E-ISSN: 1460-3608
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/02654075221131077
OpenAlexW4310266655
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited60

This study examined the associations between mothers' predisposition to show rejection sensitivity and children's cognitions regarding peer rejection and their social self-perceptions. It also explored whether these associations were mediated by mothers' behaviors in situations that might suggest their children were rejected by peers. Participants were 122 Jewish Israeli mothers and their kindergarten children (50.82% female; MChild age in months = 67.52, SD = 6.35). Mothers completed the Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire and reported their likely behaviors in scenarios suggesting the rejection of their children by peers. Children were interviewed using the response evaluation scale for the rejection stories in the Social Information Processing Interview-Preschool Version and the peer acceptance subscale of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children. Results revealed indirect links between mothers' rejection sensitivity and children's maladaptive response evaluations and lower social self-perceptions, through fewer supportive maternal behaviors. These findings highlight the need to consider parents' dispositions and behaviors in the context of their children's peer interactions for a more complete understanding of the development of children's social competence

Competence (human resources · Developmental psychology · Peer acceptance · Peer group · Perception · Social change · Social competence · Social rejection · Social relation · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Psychology · Social Psychology

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