Influence of parental rejection on college students'social anxiety:the mediation of rejection sensitivity and the moderation of gender

Yu Yue; Min Linggui; Jin Xueying; Liu Xiaoqun; Wang Zheng

doi:10.11986/j.issn.1673-873X.2024.04.001

Abstract：Objective To explore the mechanism of how parental rejection affects social anxiety among college students.Methods Using convenient sampling,1867 college students were surveyed with the Parental Rearing Styles Questionnaire,the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire,and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale.The data were statistically analyzed.Re-sults Scores for father rejection and mother rejection were significantly higher for males than females (P<0.05).Each pair of father rejection,mother rejection,social anxiety,and rejection sensitivity was negatively correlated (P<0.05).Gender correlated positively with both father and mother rejection (P<0.05).Father and mother rejection positively predicted so-cial anxiety in college students (β=0.19,0.17,both P<0.05).Rejection sensitivity partially mediated the relationship be-tween parental rejection and social anxiety (mediation effect value=0.07,both P<0.05).Gender moderated the first half of the mediation path (β=0.81,0.77,both P<0.05) and the relationship between parental rejection and social anxiety (β=-0.14,-0.14,both P<0.05).Father rejection predicted social anxiety more strongly in males (β=0.20,P<0.05) than females (β=0.06,P<0.05),and mother rejection similarly predicted social anxiety more strongly in males (β=0.19,P<0.05) than females (β=0.05,P>0.05).Father rejection predicted rejection sensitivity more strongly in fe-males (β=2.22,P<0.05) than in males (β=1.41,P<0.05),and mother rejection showed the same trend (β=2.14,P<0.05 vs.β=1.38,P<0.05).Conclusion Parental rejection indirectly influences social anxiety in college students through rejection sensitivity,with a stronger predictive effect on males' social anxiety.Parental rejection also results in higher rejection sensitivity in females.