Rejection sensitivity in intimate relationships: Implications for perceived partner responsiveness

The goal of the study was to investigate whether and how perceptions of rejection are predictive of perceptions of the partner’s responsiveness, and the intimacy felt with a romantic partner, daily. Moreover, we examined whether people who are more anxious and sensitive to rejection perceived more rejection in daily life and whether this foreshadowed perception of the partner to be less responsive. Analyses of daily data from a sample of 75 couples (N = 150) who reported on their daily relational experiences suggest that rejection sensitivity and rejection experiences play a significant role in couples’ felt intimacy in daily life, and specifically for perceptions of responsiveness. Results also indicate that for women, rejection sensitivity is associated with more rejection experiences. We discuss the current results from a clinical and from a social psychological perspective, and we highlight how anxious apprehension and experience of rejection, and its interpersonal consequences, can be further considered in clinical practice.