Abstract
Being in a romantic relationship might be negatively associated with appearance-based rejection sensitivity (Appearance-RS); however, there is little understanding of the mechanism of this relationship. In this study, we explored the effect of romantic relationship status (RRS) on Appearance-RS, and whether this effect is mediated by self-rated attractiveness (SRA) and moderated by appearance-contingent self-worth (A-CSW). Participants were 542 Chinese undergraduates who completed anonymous questionnaires measuring RRS, SRA, A-CSW, Appearance-RS, and various control variables. The results revealed that individual differences in RRS were a pronounced predictor of Appearance-RS. Specifically, single individuals without any romantic relationship were more susceptible to higher Appearance-RS, which was explained by their lower SRA. Additionally, the more participants' self-worth was contingent on their appearance, the stronger their SRA predicted their Appearance-RS. Future studies should explore the role of relationship satisfaction in the effect of RRS on Appearance-RS.
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