Norm-based rejection sensitivity: Its affective, behavioral, and cognitive concomitants when personal preferences collide with social norms

Abstract

When people’s personal preferences collide with group norms, people may choose to follow the group norms or act on their true preferences. Past research has focused on situational forces that affect how people act in these situations. Although individual differences have been observed, the sources of such differences have yet to be identified. We suggest that some individuals have anxious expectations of rejection based on nonconformity to group norms (i.e., high norm-based rejection sensitivity or norm-based RS) (cf. Feldman & Downey, 1996). High (vs. low) normbased RS individuals may be expected to feel more nervous as they consider the repercussions of not following group norms inconsistent with their preferences. We hypothesize that, motivated to avoid rejection, high (vs. low) norm-based RS individuals will have stronger intention to conform to group norms that violate their true preferences. As they intend to adhere to group norms, high (vs. low) norm-based RS individuals may be expected to more closely monitor how other group members act. Undergraduates completed the Norm-based Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire developed by Yip and colleagues (2009). We measured participants’ affective, behavioral, and cognitive reactions in six hypothetical scenarios in which their personal preferences collide with group norms. As expected, norm-based rejection sensitivity predicted their nervousness about the repercussions of non-conformity, intention to follow group norms, and monitoring of other group members’ actions, even after controlling for the effects of self-esteem, neuroticism, and personal rejection sensitivity. Motivation to avoid rejection mediated the relation between norm-based RS and intention to follow group norms.