Development and psychometric properties of fear of rejection scale (FRS): measuring social and interpersonal rejection among young adults in Pakistan

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-12-2020-0124
• Published date: 02 September 2021
• Date: 02 September 2021
• Pages: 288-304
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Inequalities & diverse/minority groups,Sociology,Race & ethnic studies,Minorities,Multiculturalism,Racial identity,Work,economy & organizations
• Author: Rowaida Yawar,Muhammad Aqeel,Maryam Rafiq,Saher Navid,Nabiha Taufiq,Areesha Touqir,Moazma Imran

Development and psychometric properties

of fear of rejection scale (FRS): measuring

social and interpersonal rejection among

young adults in Pakistan

Rowaida Yawar, Muhammad Aqeel, Maryam Rafiq, Saher Navid, Nabiha Taufiq,

Areesha Touqir and Moazma Imran

Abstract

Purpose –Fear of rejection is a feeling experienced by every human, which influenceseveryday life. It

impacts an individual’s physical and mental health. But still there is no valid and reliable measure to

assess prevalence of fear of rejection because of interpersonal relationships and social factors. This

paper aims to serve the purpose of the establishment of psychometric properties of a scale that

measuresthe fear of rejection.

Design/methodology/approach –Data was gathered from focus groups to establish item pool and

construct the instrument. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on the data collected by

administering fear of rejection scale (FRS) and it uncovered the structure of the developed scale.

Principalcomponent analysis method was conductedby using direct oblimin rotation.

Findings –A two-factor structure, which includes interpersonal relat ionships and social factors, was obtained

as a result of EFA. The internal consistency of the scale is highly acc eptable with a = 0.93, which indicated that

the scale is highly reliable. High reliability of s ubscales was attained as a = 0.90 and 0.86, respectively.

Originality/value –This research paperis original, which aims to assess the fear of rejection in terms of

social and interpersonalrejection. The data collected is validand authentic. The FRS is constructed with

highlyreliable results and is a psychometrically sound instrument.

Keywords Validity, Mental health, Interpersonal relationships, Exploratory factor analysis,

Fear of rejection, Internet consistency, Social and interpersonal rejection, Social factors

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

In daily life, rejection may be encountered on a wide scale or in small ways. Rejection is an

imminent threat in everybody’s life. Whenever one would try to attempt something new or

difficult, there would definitely be a possibility that the person can be rejected (Nafees and

Jahan, 2018). Rejection is a feeling and experience of not being accepted, loved or cared

as well as feeling of being unwanted when an individual is not approved by someone else

(Hunt, 2013). It can lead to emotional responses of sadness, grief, anger and loneliness

(Buckley et al.,2004). But the fear of rejectionis mainly “an irrational belief that an individual

has that he/she will not be accepted as the person he/she is”. It is the fear induced by

anticipation of rejection in the future which can cause stress and anxiety. Fear of rejection

decreases the intergroup interaction and also reduces the tendency of an individual to be

socially active (Shapiro et al., 2011).An individual facing fear of rejection also feels that his/

her opinions and behaviorare also not being valued.

Rowaida Yawar,

Muhammad Aqeel,

Maryam Rafiq, Saher Navid,

Nabiha Taufiq,

Areesha Touqir and

Moazma Imran are all based

at the Department of

Psychology, Foundation

University –Rawalpindi

Campus, Rawalpindi,

Pakistan.

Received 20 December 2020

Revised 13 May 2021

20 July 2021

Accepted 9 August 2021

All the authors would like to

thank the participants of this

research study and Foundation

University Rawalpindi Campus

for their support and

cooperation.

PAGE 288 jINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN HEALTHCARE jVOL. 15 NO. 3 2022, pp. 288-304, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2056-4902DOI 10.1108/IJHRH-12-2020-0124

Fear of rejection can be considered as complex construct because the factors can be

rejection from a specific person, place, community, prejudice and society. It can also be

from a person’s family, mate or romantic partner can be felt, and the feelings that arise as a

result can cause pain. This study emphasizes mainly on fears and anticipations related to

interpersonal and social rejection. Interpersonal rejection is “rejection faced by a person in

context of intimate and close relationships”. These include friends, mentor, parents or

romantic partner (London et al.,2020). Social rejection is described as “the perception of

consciously excluding or isolating an individual in the social gathering which induces

painful feelings of being degraded”. It is a psychological experience of rejection and the

person is dissatisfied with the belonging needs (Beekman et al., 2017;Perna, 2020). It

should be differentiated fromostracism, which is excluding or isolating a person withoutany

explanation while in the case of social rejection, the declaration is given that the person

being rejected is no longer desired to be interacted with (Williams, 2007). Additionally,

ostracism is a phenomenon occurring in the present with a person while fear of social

rejection is expecting and worrying about rejection from the people in the surrounding or in

a group setting.

Peer rejection can cause heightenedtendencies to expect and fear rejection in future which

intensifies negative beliefs regarding support from the peer group. This anxiousness can

lead to withdrawal, social anxiety and aggression (London et al., 2007). Socio-cognitive

beliefs related to relationships can impact interpersonal relations. Socio-cultural

environment can increase rejection sensitivity concerning interpersonal relationship. It can

also lead to social rejection because of cultural expectations (Lou and Li, 2017). Social

media is a source of comparison with others, judging others and preoccupations related to

appearance. Social media useis positively linked with depression, social anxiety and fearof

rejection. People spend more time on social media, which increases appearance anxiety

and sensitivity to rejection (Hawes et al.,2020). Status-based rejection sensitivity makes a

person belonging to a minority group based on religion, sexual-orientation, race, color,

caste or ethnic group more anxious, as well as enhancesthe level of fear of rejection. It can

contribute to negative effects on mental health of people belonging to minority groups

(Slimowicz et al., 2020). In younger people, the need to belong to a group and rejection

fears rises because of peer pressure, culture basis and societal exclusion (Asperna

¨s,

2017).

Earlier experiences in life, especially childhood experiences, can be a source of fear of

rejection in people. For example, childhood maltreatment experiences can lead to rejection

sensitivity, emotional disturbances and aggression in adulthood (Choi, 2021). Emotional

neglect, hostility and poor treatment from theparents in earlier stages of life can be a factor

constituting fear of rejection and can affect the interpersonal relationship of the individual

(Erozkan, 2015;Joseph, 2014). In addition, high levels of fear of rejection are related to the

absence of perceived social support (Langens and Schu

¨ler, 2005). Perceived social

rejection is linked with sensitivity to rejection as a personality trait which is characterized by

biases in interpretation of a social situation and cues. Anticipating rejection may alter the

way how individuals interact with other people in their surroundings (Schaan et al.,2020).

Surprisingly, medium intensity and fear of social rejection is helpful in motivating an

individual to restore the social self and overcome any social impairment by getting social

contact and support. But high intensity of social rejection can result in social and emotional

withdrawal (Bernstein and Claypool, 2012). Anxiety and fear is present among people

suffering from terminal illnesses such as breast cancer which may result in fear of social

rejection and also in those patients with severe diseases or diseases which are under the

control of the patient (Crandall andMoriarty, 1995;Rashid et al.,2021).

Fear of rejection might induce low self-esteem, sensitivity, exclusion, isolation, aggression,

insecurities and violence too (Leary, 2015;Zeigler-Hill and Shackelford, 2020). Individuals

who are stressed keep a tendency to pull themselves out or disconnect themselves from

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