(PS11-97) The Impact of Social Rejection on Impulsive Behavior in Individuals with Emotion Regulation Difficulties

Introduction

Emotion dysregulation is a central component of myriad psychopathology and an antecedent to many behaviors considered to be maladaptive. Impulsive behavior in particular has numerous ties to emotion regulation processes and mechanisms. However, some research implies that there could be an additional component to this relationship. Rates of emotion dysregulation increase following social rejection in addition to being associated with interpersonal conflict and alienation as well as mediating the link between rejection sensitivity and aggression. Nevertheless, there is little empirical evidence exhibiting an explicit link between social rejection, emotion regulation difficulties, and impulsive behavior. As emotion regulation difficulties implicate harmful and maladaptive behaviors, the aim of this study was to examine whether social rejection and emotion regulation difficulties interact to increase impulsive behavior.

Method

Eighty undergraduates were randomized to be in the inclusion group or ostracism group using the Cyberball paradigm. They completed a variety of measures assessing their mood, behavior, and personality, including DERS. Participants also completed a visual analog scale to rate their mood following the Cyberball paradigm. They were then immediately directed to complete a Go/no-go task to assess impulsive behavior and were instructed to press the spacebar in response to certain stimuli. After the Go/no-go task, subjects completed another assessment of mood and the believability of the Cyberball confederates before being debriefed.

Results

Moderation analysis indicated a significant interaction between DERS and social rejection in predicting impulsive behavior. Specifically, individuals who were high in DERS and socially rejected were significantly more impulsive (less accurate) than individuals high in DERS and not socially rejected.

Implications

This study suggests that the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and impulsive behavior is conditional on an experience of social rejection. Particularly, individuals with high difficulties in emotion regulation were much more impulsive when they had been recently socially rejected. Experiences of ostracism ought to be targeted as a risk factor for maladaptive impulsive behaviors, as a construct worth attention in terms of developing preventative measures for individuals with emotion regulation difficulties, and a focal point for therapeutic interventions regarding building emotion regulation skills.