| Abstract |
| This study examined whether difficulties in emotion regulation mediate the relationship between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety among young adults. A total of 396 individuals aged 18-29 completed measures assessing rejection sensitivity, social anxiety, and emotion regulation difficulties (i.e., emotion dysregulation). Correlation analyses showed that all three variables were positively and significantly associated with one another. Mediation analyses further revealed that emotion dysregulation served as a partial mediator in the relationship between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety. Specifically, higher rejection sensitivity was associated with greater difficulties in emotion regulation, which contributed to elevated levels of social anxiety. Notably, the direct effect of rejection sensitivity on social anxiety remained significant even after accounting for emotion dysregulation, indicating that emotion regulation does not fully explain the link between the two variables. These findings highlight the importance of emotion regulation as a psychological mechanism influencing social anxiety during young adulthood. Moreover, they suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing emotion regulation skills may help reduce social anxiety or prevent its escalation during this developmental period. Overall, this study provides empirical evidence of the direct and indirect pathways through which rejection sensitivity contributes to social anxiety in young adults and underscores the need for targeted preventive and therapeutic strategies. |
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| Key Words |
| Emerging Adulthood, Emotion Dysregulation, Rejection Sensitivity, Social Anxiety, Social Anxiety Disorder |
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