Experiences Of Rejection Research Articles

Fostering Resilience to Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Adolescents: Investing in Social Brain Development in the Age of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Social experiences are central to developing resilience to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Disruptions to social interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic may compromise resilience, or the ability to psychologically adapt to ACEs, by blunting social brain development. This is especially concerning for children with access to limited resources. Drawing from evolutionary psychology and resilience research, we understand that the development of the social brain —a complex network of brain regions involved in social behaviors—is shaped by life experiences throughout childhood. Adolescence is a sensitive period of brain development during which rapid and lasting attunement of the brain to the environment occurs.1 Therefore, to counter potential negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on resilience to ACEs among vulnerable adolescents, interventions should focus on promoting social brain development through positive social experiences. Critically, this effort will support youth who are economically marginalized, and/or racially and ethnically minoritized. Not only are these adolescents highly exposed to ACEs and to discrimination-based social rejection, they often lack access to resources that foster resilience.2 Individual, family, and community level interventions can promote trajectories toward resilience by facilitating supportive relationships, providing access to social resources, and promoting social cohesion by reducing experiences of social rejection.

Subclinical rejection-free diagnostic after kidney transplantation using blood gene expression

We previously established a six-gene-based blood score associated with operational tolerance in kidney transplantation which was decreased in patients developing anti-HLA donor-specific antibodies (DSA). Herein, we aimed to confirm that this score is associated with immunological events and risk of rejection. We measured this using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and NanoString methods from an independent multicenter cohort of 588 kidney transplant recipients with paired blood samples and biopsies at one year after transplantation validating its association with pre-existing and de novo DSA. From 441 patients with protocol biopsy, there was a significant decrease of the score of tolerance in 45 patients with biopsy-proven subclinical rejection (SCR), a major threat associated with pejorative allograft outcomes that prompted an SCR score refinement. This refinement used only two genes, AKR1C3 and TCL1A, and four clinical parameters (previous experience of rejection, previous transplantation, sex of recipient and tacrolimus uptake). This refined SCR score was able to identify patients unlikely to develop SCR with a C-statistic of 0.864 and a negative predictive value of 98.3%. The SCR score was validated in an external laboratory, with two methods (qPCR and NanoString), and on 447 patients from an independent and multicenter cohort. Moreover, this score allowed reclassifying patients with discrepancies between the DSA presence and the histological diagnosis of antibody mediated rejection unlike kidney function. Thus, our refined SCR score could improve detection of SCR for closer and noninvasive monitoring, allowing early treatment of SCR lesions notably for patients DSA-positive and during lowering of immunosuppressive treatment.

The Impact of Family Support and Rejection on Suicide Ideation and Attempt among Transgender Adults in the U.S.

We evaluate the association of familial factors and suicidality among transgender adults in the U.S. by estimating the odds of lifetime suicide ideation and attempt using the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Predictors include family support, family rejection, and specific experiences related to both. About 79% of sample respondents have experienced suicidal ideation and nearly 43% have made a suicide attempt. The predicted probability of suicide attempt is 0.35 for those with no family rejection experiences, 0.75 for those who have had all five experiences in our models. Rejection ­predicts both outcomes and experiences of rejection have a cumulative impact.

Left-Handed Mothers and LGBTQ+ Child Acceptance in Singapore: Exploring the Link through Early Life Rejection

Parental acceptance is a critical factor in the well-being of LGBTQ+ children, with research consistently demonstrating the harmful effects of rejection and discrimination on mental health outcomes. This study examines the difference in acceptance of LGBTQ+ children between left-handed and right-handed mothers. We collected data from a sample of 200 mothers, including 100 left-handed and 100 right-handed mothers, who all have at least one LGBTQ+ child. Our findings suggest that left-handed mothers tend to be more supportive of their LGBTQ+ children, with a significantly higher mean acceptance score (M = 4.28, SD = 0.69) compared to right-handed mothers (M = 2.76, SD = 0.93), t(198) = 7.52, P < .001, d = 0.94. We propose that left-handed mothers may be more empathetic towards their child’s struggles due to their own experiences of rejection based on their handedness. Our study highlights the importance of considering individual differences in parenting and the potential impact on the well-being of LGBTQ+ children.

Financial Literacy and Credit Accessibility of Rice Farmers in Pakistan: Analysis for Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Regions

This study investigates the factors that affect farmers’ access to Food Security and Agricultural Credit (FSAC) services for the farmers of Pakistan who have no access to banking but have a feasible farm business. Using multiple regressions and logistic analysis, the authors revealed the determinants of farmers’ financial literacy and analyzed the variables which affected the farmers’ accessibility to FSAC. Results indicated that the average financial literacy of respondents was at a moderate level. It was affected by the age of respondents, length of their education, distance to nearby cities, ownership of bank accounts, annual income, and financial education experience. The FSAC accessibility was also impacted by the area of cultivated land, interest rate, collateral, farms’ income, financial literacy index, credit accessibility experiences, the legal status of farmer groups, and the amount of a loan. Some of the issues that prevent farmers from having widespread access to the FSAC include the lack of loan need, lack of FSAC awareness, lack of collateral, loan usury perspective, loan rejection experience, fear of borrowing from the bank, and inactive farmer groups. The study contributes to the existing literature on the determinants of farmers’ access and choice of credit sources by using a primary data set.

What does rejection look like? A photovoice study on emotions and coping regarding manuscript rejection.

The study aimed to illustrate the emotions related to manuscript rejection experiences and coping strategies. We conducted individual interviews and focus groups with academics receiving at least one rejection in the last year using the photovoice method. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis based on the pictures and interviews. The findings indicated that the participants had negative emotional responses to desk rejections and peer-review rejections. We observed that the participants resorted to three strategies; avoidant strategies, neutral (neither approach nor avoidant) strategies, and approach strategies to cope with manuscript rejection. Avoidant strategies consisted of denial, self-distraction, and venting, while approach strategies included acceptance, support, planning, and positive reframing. Our study revealed that neutral strategies had humor as the only dimension. It also highlighted the significance of addressing the emotions and opinions of academics with rejection experiences. The findings also guide the coping strategies. The implications include awareness-raising activities at both individual and institutional levels.

The Experience of Social Rejection: Developmental Transformations and a Multimodal Art Response Model as Applied to Art-based Research

In this preliminary study, we propose an expressive and interactive research method using a developmental transformations (DvT) model and a multimodal art response as applied to an art-based research (ABR) design, specifically relating to the experience of social rejection. We explored three research questions: Can the experience of social rejection be understood through playful interactions in DvT play? How does playing with the experience of rejection vary in solo play, play with an object, and play with a partner—i.e., otherness? How do researchers’ responses to participants enrich this understanding? This study delineates subjective and expressive ways of understanding the lived experience of social rejection through a multimodal approach, the DvT theory, and practice in an ABR design. Four DvT practitioners participated in a three-session pilot study, exploring rejection on their own and in pairs, then shared their experiences in a group discussion. Between sessions, the researchers shared their response films and visual response art with the participants. The outcomes of the study suggest that the experience of social rejection impacts both individual and partnered play, although its intensity seems to increase in pair interaction, and that response art supports participants’ exploration of this experience. Our research outcomes emphasized the need for expressive and interactive research methods, such as the application of DvT in ABR, in the study of complex and intersubjective social phenomena such as the experience of social rejection.

THE BRITISH COLONIZERS’ SYSTEMATIC OPPRESSION IN AFRICA: AN EXPLORATION OF YAA GYASI’S HOMEGOING

The enduring legacy of British colonization and the Atlantic slave trade shaped and influenced the physical and psychological experiences of people of African. This paper examines the British colonizers’ systematic oppression in Africa. It purports to show how Yaa Gyasi, a Ghanaian novelist portrays shenanigans of slave masters in Africa and particularly in Cape Coast as contextualized in her first novel, Homegoing. It draws its theoretical underpinnings from the New Historicism and the psychological approach. The findings from the exploration of this narrative highlight aspects of the African’s victimization such as their inferiority complex towards the white man’s race, the shenanigans of the British Slave Masters in Africa and the subsequent psychological trauma this systematic oppression on Africans. As a final assessment, this study positions Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing as an historical novel which bringing the reader back to Africans’ experience of rejection and victimization due to the colour of their skin and their origins in their own land by the British colonizers. A way the authoress to promote healing for Africans, unveiling the historical and psychological antecedents of a harsh oppression they had been victims of, the aftermaths of which ineradicably shaped their psyche, and they are still struggling to get rig off.

The relationship between acceptance and rejection experiences and affiliation motives in junior high school students

The present study investigates the relationship between acceptance and rejection experiences and affiliation motives of junior high school students using a longitudinal survey over a one-year period. A total of 399 junior high school students (193 boys and 206 girls) participated in this study. A cross-lagged model was used in a simultaneous multi-population analysis taking gender into account. Results showed that both genders had a positive path from Time 1 “Approval as a Classmate” and a negative path from “Infringed and Maladjustment” compared to the Time 2 affinity tendency. Furthermore, the results for Time 2 “Sensitivity to Rejection” suggested differences in the results by gender. It was suggested that the experience of acceptance by others are associated with the affinity motive in both genders, although there were differences by gender. These results suggested some points to keep in mind when implementing educational practices for the purpose of forming good friendships in junior high school.

Erfahrungen von Menschen mit Fluchtgeschichte bei der Inanspruchnahme der Gesundheitsversorgung in Deutschland – Erkenntnisse einer qualitativen Studie

ZusammenfassungHintergrundMenschen mit Fluchtgeschichte sind mit einer Vielzahl von rechtlichen, strukturellen, administrativen, kulturellen und sprachlichen Barrieren im Zugang zur Gesundheitsversorgung konfrontiert. Derzeit liegen jedoch wenig Daten zu gesundheitlichen Bedarfen und Bedürfnissen von Geflüchteten vor. Insbesondere ihre subjektiven Erfahrungen im Zugang zur Gesundheitsversorgung sind bisher wenig berücksichtigt worden.Ziel der ArbeitIn diesem Beitrag sollen die subjektiven Erfahrungen von Menschen mit Fluchtgeschichte beim Zugang zur Gesundheitsversorgung und bei deren Nutzung beschrieben werden. Strategien bei der Bewältigung von Herausforderungen werden dargestellt.MethodenDie Rekrutierung der InterviewpartnerInnen erfolgte anhand von quantitativen Querschnittsdaten, die im Rahmen einer Studie zur Gesundheit von Geflüchteten (FlüGe-Gesundheitsstudie) erhoben wurden. Personen, die einer erneuten Kontaktaufnahme zugestimmt hatten, wurden telefonisch kontaktiert. Es wurde eine im Hinblick auf Alter, Geschlecht, Nationalität, Gesundheitszustand und Inanspruchnahmeverhalten heterogene Teilstichprobe (n = 18) mittels dolmetschergestützter problemzentrierter Interviews nachbefragt. Die Datenauswertung erfolgte in einem deduktiv-induktiven Prozess.Ergebnisse und DiskussionDie wenig migrationssensible Gesundheitsversorgung von Menschen mit Fluchtgeschichte ist geprägt durch Sprachbarrieren, Orientierungslosigkeit, Ablehnungserfahrungen, Fehlbehandlungen und strukturelle Barrieren. Fremdheitserfahrungen in und mit dem Gesundheitssystem können dazu führen, dass die Versorgung nicht (mehr) oder nur verzögert in Anspruch genommen wird. Gleichzeitig werden individuelle Strategien von Geflüchteten und VersorgerInnen angewendet, um den genannten Herausforderungen zu begegnen.

Considering intersectionality in acculturation: Bringing theory to practice

Intersectionality—a conceptual and analytical framework for understanding how aspects of an individual’s social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege—has gained significant traction in psychology in the past decade. This framework urges researchers and policymakers to consider systemic and social factors that may preclude marginalized and racialized people from accessing the same opportunities as their majority-group counterparts. Despite some conceptual similarities between cultural psychology, intergroup relations, and intersectionality, this framework has been noticeably absent from the field of acculturation research. Acculturation has largely been conceptualized as the parallel negotiation of one’s engagement with mainstream and heritage cultural environments. Research in acculturation has mainly focused on antecedents and challenges related to this engagement. Here, we set forth that an important gap in this research domain pertains to the limited consideration of the systemic and social factors that may preclude marginalized and racialized migrants’ access to both mainstream and heritage cultural identities. Specifically, we argue that to understand migrants’ experiences in their new country, it is essential to consider the unique contexts that emerge from the intersection of identities (e.g., gender, religious, and racial identities), social categories (e.g., socioeconomic status and ethnicity), and exclusions (e.g., social rejection experience because of one’s marginalized identities). To that end, we aim to set an agenda for future research which presents intersectionality as a key perspective to include in acculturation research. We also incorporate practical recommendations for the use of an intersectional framework in the study of acculturation, at all steps of the research process, from the elaboration of research questions to quantitative analyses.

What If I Feel Rejected? Borderline Personality, Pathological Narcissism, and Social Rejection in Daily Life.

The authors investigate whether and how borderline and pathological narcissistic traits differ in their associations with trait and state rejection sensitivity, and with affective reactions to experiences of social rejection occurring in daily life. Community adults (N = 189) completed baseline measures of rejection sensitivity, borderline personality, and pathological narcissism, and daily measures of perceived social rejection and affective states for 7 days. Vulnerable narcissism was the main driver of negative anticipated emotions for social rejection. Borderline personality made people prone to experiencing social rejection in daily life. Moreover, borderline personality traits predicted greater self-directed aggressive impulses when experiencing social rejection. Grandiose narcissism showed only a negative association with anticipatory anxiety for rejection. These findings highlight that sensitivity to social rejection is crucial in both borderline personality and pathological narcissism.

Rejection as a form of social exclusion

The article presents the study results of the rejection in interpersonal relationships in the social exclusion ideas context. The empirical study involved 51 people. The results, carried out using qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis, demonstrate the characteristic perception of rejection as a process. The rejection trigger is the discovery of otherness and / or inadequacy with the interaction partner. This is expressed in the mismatch of values, attitudes, person’s expectations; in the awareness of the reciprocity absence; in inattention to the partner, in ignoring its interests. The rejection experience is accompanied by feelings of resentment, loneliness, other negative emotions, as well as a search for the meaning of what is happening. Adaptation to a situation of rejection presupposes acceptance or reciprocal rejection, which leads to the final break in communication with the partner of interpersonal relations, to the loss of psychological resources, to the significant social needs’ deprivation. It is shown that lonely adults are much less likely to describe the rejection process as a way to accept the diversity of the world and interpersonal relationships’ variability. Understanding rejection as a social exclusion form gives a possibility for building psychotherapeutic work with people who reject interpersonal relationships.

“I’m Just So Glad That I Saved My Life”: A Grounded Theory Analysis of Transgender and Non-Binary Latinx People Navigating Family Rejection and Intergenerational Violence

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of family rejection on transgender and non-binary Latinx individuals. Related to experiences of rejection, participants were asked about family dynamics and cultural aspects. Data from 12 interviews with Latinx non-binary and transgender adult children were analyzed through a critical-constructivist grounded theory method resulting in a hierarchy comprised of 4 clusters with one core category capturing diverse aspects of the experience of rejection. Deciding how to navigate one’s family relationships after experiencing rejection brings forth a difficult decision to save one’s life and preserve safety, while torn between expectations to adhere to traditional cultural and familial roles the family has followed to ensure survival. These clusters included: precursors to rejection setting the stage for conformity; ritualization of rejection solidifying otherness and increasing precarity; cultural maintenance of anti-trans rejection within families through reciprocal rejection; and children renegotiating familial expectations to prioritize safety. Two contributions to clinical work and research are offered: (1) rejection is conceptualized as a manifestation of cumulative trauma; (2) contextualizing cultural values within individual and familial environments is essential to understand and prevent family rejection.

Tinder un-choosing. The six stages of mate discarding in a patriarchal technology

ABSTRACT We analyse rejection experiences in mobile dating applications (MDA), in particular Tinder, based on the variables of gender and age. To do so, we conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with forty (40) heterosexual Tinder users (10 women aged 18–28 years, 11 women aged 40–60, 10 men aged 18–28, and 9 men aged 40–60). Results showed that rather than explicitly hostile experiences, users encounter a gamified soft-rejection technology where being not-selected or discarded (or not-selecting or discarding others) emerges as an apparently harmless element of a dating experience that is structured into six successive stages (self-classification, selection of partners, match, first conversation, progress, face-to-face). We discuss these findings, concluding that this paradigm may be new but it still mirrors traditional structures of machismo and ageism.

"Surviving Discrimination by Pulling Together": LGBTQI Cancer Patient and Carer Experiences of Minority Stress and Social Support.

BackgroundLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or intersex (LGBTQI) people with cancer and their carers report poorer psychological outcomes than the general non-LGBTQI cancer population. There is growing acknowledgement that these health inequities can be explained by minority stress, which can be buffered by social support.Study AimTo examine subjective experiences of minority stress and social support for LGBTQI people with cancer and their carers, drawing on qualitative findings from the Out with Cancer study.MethodAn online survey including open ended items was completed by 430 LGBTQI cancer patients and 132 partners and other carers, representing a range of tumor types, sexual and gender identities, age and intersex status. A sub-sample of 104 patients and 31 carers completed an interview, with a follow-up photovoice activity and second interview completed by 45 patients and 10 carers. Data was thematically analysed using an intersectional theoretical framework.ResultsHistorical and present-day experiences of discrimination, violence, family rejection and exclusion created a legacy of distress and fear. This impacted on trust of healthcare professionals and contributed to distress and unmet needs in cancer survivorship and care. Social support, often provided by partners and other chosen family, including intimate partners and other LGBTQI people, buffered the negative impacts of minority stress, helping LGBTQI patients deal with cancer. However, some participants lacked support due to not having a partner, rejection from family of origin and lack of support within LGBTQI communities, increasing vulnerability to poor psychological wellbeing. Despite the chronic, cumulative impacts of minority stress, LGBTQI patients and carers were not passive recipients of discriminatory and exclusion in cancer care, demonstrating agency and resistance through collective action and advocacy.ConclusionLGBTQI people have unique socio-political histories and present-day psycho-social experiences that contribute to distress during cancer. Social support serves to buffer and ameliorate this distress. There is a need for cancer healthcare professionals and support services to be aware of and responsive to these potential vulnerabilities, including the intersectional differences in experiences of minority stress and social support. There is also a need for recognition and facilitation of social support among LGBTQI people with cancer and their carers.

What makes a violent mind? The interplay of parental rearing, dark triad personality traits and propensity for violence in a sample of German adolescents.

Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy are socially aversive personality traits that are strongly linked to the propensity of violence. A central determinate of aggression and violence is parental rearing. Interestingly, while the origin of the development of Dark Triad is not yet entirely understood, next to genetic and environmental factors, literature points towards an influence of parenting styles to the development of dark traits. Therefore, in a sample of 1366 9th grade students (mean age 14.89,), we assessed the interplay between parental rearing, dark triad traits, observation of violence among peers and their propensity for violence. The sample has a good representativeness on school types. Results reveal a positive association between the experience of parental rejection by both parents and punishment as well as parental control and overprotection and Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy. Parental emotional warmth was associated negatively with Machiavellianism and psychopathy while no significant association with narcissism was seen. In a path model, parental rearing, dark triad traits and observation of violence among peers significantly contributed to the propensity of violence. However, differences between the experienced parenting behaviour of mothers and fathers should be noted. Both rejection and overly harsh punishments by fathers and emotional warmth by mothers have no significant influence on the dark triad. It is interesting that the effects regarding maternal parenting behaviour are stronger overall than the effects regarding paternal parenting behaviour. These results underline the importance of parental rearing on the development of Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy and suggest a significant role of parental rearing and the dark triad traits on propensity for violence in adolescents. Parenting trainings and family interventions may be a promising starting point to prevent antisocial behavior linked to the dark triad and to prevent violent behavior in future generations

Connection Heals Wounds: Feeling Listened to Reduces Speakers' Loneliness Following a Social Rejection Disclosure.

Memories of rejection contribute to feeling lonely. However, high-quality listening that conveys well-meaning attention and understanding when speakers discuss social rejection may help them to reconnect. Speakers may experience less loneliness because they feel close and connected (relatedness) to the listener and because listening supports self-congruent expression (autonomy). Five experiments (total N = 1,643) manipulated listening during visualized (Studies 1, 4, 5) and actual (Studies 2, 3) conversations. We used different methods (video vignettes; in-person; computer-mediated; recall; written scenarios) to compare high-quality with regular (all studies) and poor (Study 1) listening. Findings across studies showed that high-quality listening reduced speakers' state loneliness after they shared past experiences of social rejection. Parallel mediation analyses indicated that both feeling related to the listener and autonomy satisfaction (particularly its self-congruence component; Study 5) mediated the effect of listening on loneliness. These results provide novel insights into the hitherto unexplored effect of listening on state loneliness.

The Experience of Manuscript Rejection: Insights From the JME Associate Editors

The Experience of Manuscript Rejection: Insights From the JME Associate Editors

Stigma, Tolerance, and Acceptance in the Lives of Sexual and Gender Minority Nebraskans

Abstract Experiences of stigma and acceptance profoundly affect the lives of sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals and are often dependent on context, such as geographic location. Through interviews with twenty sexual and gender minority individuals living in Nebraska, this study aimed to explore participants’ experiences of rejection and acceptance in different spheres to better understand how stigma operates. Thematic analysis revealed primary themes of Stigma and Discrimination and Signs of Support. However, reports of stigma and acceptance were often complex and intertwined. For example, participants described that receiving support from others categorized as merely “tolerant” is positive, given their expectations of rejection when living in a politically conservative state. These findings offer a contextualized understanding of how stigma and support affect SGM individuals at individual, interpersonal, community, and political levels in an underserved state.