My Rejection Sensitivity Type Test

Rejection sensitivity is a cognitive-emotional pattern characterized by anxious expectation, ready perception, and intense reaction to signs of social rejection. People high in rejection sensitivity tend to interpret ambiguous social cues as evidence of disapproval or exclusion, even when the intent behind those cues is neutral or benign.

This heightened vigilance toward rejection can influence decision-making, social behavior, and emotional well-being in significant ways. Understanding where you fall on the rejection sensitivity spectrum can illuminate patterns in your social interactions that might otherwise feel confusing or overwhelming.

The concept of rejection sensitivity was formalized through the research of Geraldine Downey and Scott Feldman at Columbia University. Their rejection sensitivity model demonstrates how early experiences of rejection — from caregivers, peers, or important social groups — can create a cognitive template that biases future social perception.

Neuroscience research has shown that social rejection activates some of the same brain regions as physical pain, which helps explain why rejection can feel so viscerally distressing. This biological basis means rejection sensitivity is not a character flaw but a measurable psychological tendency with real neurological underpinnings.

This assessment presents interpersonal scenarios involving potential rejection — waiting for a response, asking for help, joining a group, or receiving ambiguous feedback. Your reactions to these situations reveal your anticipatory anxiety level, your interpretation patterns, and your emotional intensity around perceived rejection.

The test design follows Downey and Feldman's methodology of examining both the expectation of rejection and the emotional impact when it seems to occur, providing a more nuanced picture than a simple sensitivity score alone.

Your result profile explains how rejection sensitivity manifests in your specific pattern — whether through withdrawal, preemptive people-pleasing, defensive hostility, or hyper-vigilant monitoring of social cues. Each type includes observations about strengths like empathy and social awareness that often accompany heightened sensitivity.

Recognizing your rejection sensitivity patterns can reduce their automatic influence. When you understand that a strong emotional reaction may be amplified by sensitivity rather than fully justified by the situation, you gain space to respond more deliberately and protect important relationships.

This test is designed for anyone who finds themselves frequently monitoring others' reactions for signs of disapproval, feeling deeply affected by ambiguous social feedback, or avoiding situations where rejection might occur. If you have ever wondered why a brief delay in a friend's text response can trigger significant anxiety, this assessment can help explain the psychological mechanism behind that reaction.

It is also relevant for those interested in understanding how rejection sensitivity interacts with other relational patterns such as people-pleasing, attachment anxiety, or social withdrawal, providing a more complete picture of your interpersonal dynamics.