(PS9-85) Rejection and Identity: Exploring the Impact and Attributional Patterns of Social Rejection by Race and Sexual Orientation

Social rejection is a ubiquitous and painful experience. People who hold marginalized identities are at increased risk of experiencing rejection on the basis of their identity (i.e., as a form of discrimination), which can result in psychological distress (Chae et al., 2011). How people explain (i.e., attribute) why they were socially rejected is an important predictor of their distress following rejection. For example, making more internal attributions (i.e., to themselves or their identity) is associated with greater negative emotions following rejection (e.g., Mendes et al., 2008), whereas making more external attributions (i.e., to another person or the situation) is associated with less distress (e.g., Nezlek et al., 2012). Given that individuals with marginalized identities have a propensity for holding negative self-beliefs (e.g., Bridge et al., 2019), they may be more likely to make internal attributions and, in turn, sustain worse consequences following rejection. The present study examined differences in rejection experiences between individuals on the basis of race (White vs. racial minority [BIPOC]) and sexual orientation (heterosexual vs. sexual minority [LGB+]). Specifically, we examine (1) the frequency of rejection experiences; (2) the impact of rejection; and (3) rejection attributions (e.g., attributions to something to do with self, something to do with the other person [rejecter], to one’s sexual orientation, to one’s race). 

Adult participants (N=1549) completed an online survey. They reported demographic characteristics and responded to an adapted version of the Responses to Rejection measure (Carter-Sowell, 2010). The sample was evenly distributed by race (~50% White, ~50% BIPOC) and sexual orientation (~50% LGB+, ~50% heterosexual).

BIPOC individuals reported fewer rejection experiences than White individuals (b=-0.16; p< .05); there were no significant differences by sexual orientation. LGB+ participants reported that rejection experiences impacted them more than heterosexual participants (b= .29, p< .05); there were no significant differences by race. LGB+ participants were more likely to attribute rejection experiences to something to do with themselves (b=.22; p< .05), something to do with the other person (b=.22; p< .05), their sexual orientation (b=.28; p< .05), and their race (b=.05; p< .05) than heterosexual individuals. BIPOC participants were more likely to attribute rejection to something to do with themselves (b=.09; p< .05) and their race (b=.25; p< .05), but less likely to attribute it to something to do with the other person (b=-.11; p< .05), than White individuals. 

Results suggest that cognitive responses to rejection may differ between identity groups, such as how individuals categorize negative social experiences as rejection or not and how individuals attribute or explain rejection experiences. These findings highlight that different mechanisms may be at play depending on the unique identities that an individual holds. Cultural and systemic factors may inform how individuals interpret potential rejection experiences, the impact of those experiences, and associated cognitive processes, which may influence broader psychological functioning and wellbeing.