Breaking the Cycle: Exploring the Bidirectional Associations of Loneliness and Rejection Sensitivity Among First-Year Belgian College Students

Abstract

Using a three-wave longitudinal design, the present study investigated the bidirectional associations between loneliness and rejection sensitivity. In line with previous empirical data, rejection sensitivity was hypothesized to be positively associated with increased feelings of loneliness at a subsequent measurement wave and vice versa. The sample consisted of 229 Belgian first-year college students (M = 18.3 years, SD = 1.13, 90.8% female). Participants completed the short-form UCLA Loneliness scale (RULS-8) and the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire across three measurement waves with a two-month interval. A Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model demonstrated that individuals who reported consistently higher levels of loneliness also tended to report consistently higher levels of rejection sensitivity, suggesting a significant between-person association between these variables. However, no significant within-person cross-lagged effects were found. These results suggest that, within the study's timeframe, the association between loneliness and rejection sensitivity in college students is primarily a stable, trait-like characteristic rather than a dynamic, fluctuating state. Although the exact nature of their impact on each other remains uncertain, the findings from this study can help policymakers identify who is more likely to experience loneliness and create interventions based on this information, such as addressing maladaptive thought patterns.