Page No 282-290
N. Aishvarya and N.V. Shaharban
CHRIST (Deemed to be University) Bengaluru, India
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Rejection Sensitivity (RS)
and Aggression among emerging adults, examining the mediating roles of Emotion
Regulation (ER) and Perceived Social Support (PSS). A quantitative, cross-sectional
design was employed. 389 Indian emerging adults (ages 18-25) completed self-report
measures of RS, Aggression, ER, and PSS. Spearman’s correlation and mediation
revealed a weak but significant positive correlation between RS and Aggression (r =
0.114, p < 0.05). ER significantly mediated 67% of the relationship between RS and
Aggression (â = 0.384, p = 0.009), while PSS did not significantly mediate this
relationship (â = -0.0612, p = 0.255). These findings suggest that difficulties in emotion
regulation play a crucial role in how rejection sensitivity influences aggressive behaviors
in emerging adults. This study contributes to the understanding of RS and Aggression
in emerging adults by highlighting the critical mediating role of ER. The findings suggest
that interventions targeting emotion regulation skills may be particularly effective in
reducing aggressive behaviors among rejection-sensitive individuals. This research also
emphasizes the need for further investigation into the complex interplay between internal
emotional processes and external support systems in managing rejection sensitivity