Research: Fear of rejection influences how children conform to peers
Imagine you’re a child in a classroom, and your teacher tells everyone to form groups for a project. You sit and wait, watching as other kids pair up and wondering if anyone will pick you.
This fear of rejection—familiar to many children and adults—can significantly impact how kids behave in their peer groups, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
The study found that children who feel anxious about being rejected are more likely to conform to academic expectations like studying harder or following classroom rules. They’re also less likely to engage in troublemaking behaviors. On the other hand, children who actively expect rejection tend to resist conforming to both academic behaviors and popular trends.
“Rejection sensitivity is a really concerning characteristic in children,” said Michele Lease, a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and co-author of the study. “When children are rejection sensitive, they might worry and become withdrawn or feel angry and become hostile. If they’re trying to fit in and not get rejected, they might learn to conform, ingratiate themselves or be less assertive. Rejection sensitivity is also a good predictor of depression, even before the onset of symptoms.”