Development and validation of the responses to sexual rejection scale

Abstract

Communication during sexual rejection is an impactful yet understudied aspect of romantic relationships. The primary goal of this research was to develop and validate the Responses to Sexual Rejection Scale (RSRS), a novel measure capturing the ways individuals in romantic relationships respond to sexual rejection from their partner. Exploratory factor analysis in Study 1 identified four primary factors describing responses to sexual rejection: understanding, resentful, insecure, and enticing. In a separate sample, Study 2 confirmed the factor structure of the RSRS, demonstrated internal consistency and measurement invariance across gender, and provided evidence for construct validity with measures of sexual communal strength, aggression, attachment anxiety, and narcissism. Findings support the RSRS as a useful instrument to measure relationship communication patterns in response to sexual rejection.