Rejection Sensitivity on Social Networking Sites: How It Differently Impacts Late Adolescents’ Positive and Negative Affect

: Rejection sensitivity online was prevalent among adolescents that was potential risk factor for affect. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between rejection sensitivity on networking sites and sentimental responses through self-assesion and self-esteem respectively and the sequential mediated effect both of them, the research also tested the moderated role of gender. There were 823 adolescents included in this research. They completed a questionnaire packages consisting of 4 scales. The findings indicated that adolescents’ emotional responses to rejection sensitivity on networking sites was significant, the mediating model was remarkable through self-assesion and significant sequential mediated effect both of self-assesion and self-esteem for affect among girls but not boys, however, rejection sensitivity on social networking sites was directly related to negative affect among boys, gender played a moderating role in the relationship between rejection sensitivity on social networking sites and positive affect/negative affect respectively, boys were sensitive to negative affect but girls were sensitive to both of positive and negative affect and boys responsed to stimulus slightly than girls. The findings provided a new insight to the prevention and intervention for the negative affect and improvement for positive affect among adolescents. The implication of the conclusions for understanding and counteracting rejection sensitivity on networking sites were discussed.


Introduction
Social networking sites (SNS) has been popular among various groups, especially among adolescents, for instance, there was a social media account or social media platform from people to people such as "wei xin"and "QQ" or "friend circle" and "Qzone" in China. It was convenient for adolescents to keep contact with others both of their friends and nodding acquaintances even friends online through social networking sites. However, theirs risk perception for SNS was very low, so they were easy to be influenced by some negative events, when they felt rejection sensitivity on social networking sites (RSSNS), they would experience the sentimental responses to it such as positive and negative affect strongly (PA/NA). Williams [1] got the results that social exclusion threatened individuals' fundamental desires to sense of belong, which would evoke stress for the subjects [2]. The people who experienced higher level of rejection or exclusion would develope rejection sensitivity in later life.

Rejection Sensitivity on Social Networking Sites and Positive and Negative Affect (PA/NA)
According to the previous concept of rejection sensitivity (RS) [3], this research defined the RSSNS as feeling sensitivity produced by rejection on social networking sites. Just as the result demonstrated that RS threatened humans' belongings [4], which would make individuals overreact to ambiguous circumstances [5], which may create bad status for emotion. The present reviews indicated that the rejection sensitivity was a social phenomenon that potentially impacted many individuals in long-term and short-term. In this case, there was a increasing number of people examined the effects of RS on adolescents, all of which presented a same picture [6][7][8]. With higher level of the RS, adolescents would overreact to negative events.
Recently, some researches have started paying attention to the relationship between rejection sensitivity and affect, for example, higher rejection sensitivity was associated with increased attention to sad faces [9], the increasing number of people realized that the effect of rejection sensitivity online to affect, there was a large body of people have begun to reveal that affect produced through rejection sensitivity was the cognitive risk factors of mental health such as suicide ideation [10], loneliness [11], decreased life satisfaction [12], depression [13] and social anxiety [14] and behaviors problems such as social avoidance and distress [15], aggression [16]. In the previous researches, the results demonstrated that appearance-based rejection was related to disordered eating, physical health, suicidal ideation [17,18], thus they would experience negative affect such as depression, low self-esteem and social anxiety [19,20]. In the special circumstances when study and work online has become popular, increasing number of people were immersed in communicating online, but which may show shortcomings, for example, some people would feel rejection sensitivity by exclusion online and decreased well-being [5] and higher aggression [21], they were easy to suffer from negative affect that being short of facing-to-facing communication.
With the quick developing of social media, people's life was impacted deeply, to avoid these negative effect, the article was excepted to examine the cognitive model of rejection sensitivity on social networking sites, little was known about the effect of positive and negative affect. Thus the main purpose of the current study was to create a cognitive model of RSSNS on PA/NA. This was the first to evaluate the relationship between RSSNS and affect.

The Mediated Role of Self-assesion (SA) and Self-esteem (SE)
Here the "SA" was defined as self-evaluation, according to theory of self-worth [22], individuals pursued SA in order to avoid trauma of SE and manage fear and anxiety [23] or to make impression management to build good impression [24]. Many empirical researches suggested that SE would be threatened by self disabilities and body image [25], that was, individuals' SA may be impacted by others' feedback around setting, when they suffered from rejection on social networking sites, they would experience different level of SA through feedback, further, which may impact SE and affect, and others' appearance-based feedback would make individuals perceived risk of SE at the same time [26], which was similar to appearance rejection or appearance acceptance, that was, SA and SE may mediate the relation between RSSNS and affect, and SA and SE may play a sequentially mediated role.

The Moderated Effect of Gender
Though the RSSNS associated with affect, the degree of influences varied from girls to boys across situations in high school, that was, gender played a moderated role in the relationship between RSSNS and PA/NA. Some evidences suggested gender differences in the pathway [27], such as depression, well-being produced by appearance-based RS [28], these researches indicated that boys were less sensitive to RS than females [29]. But current researches mainly focused on females' sample, which may exist samples bias. Abdul [30] identified the moderating effect of gender for RS, in a word, perceived paternal rejection in childhood has influenced on both of adult males and females' RS, but maternal rejection didn't associated with both of adult males and females' RS. However, there was different voice, the result from a mixed sample revealed that there was neither significant differences on appearance-based RS for young girls nor boys [31] and RS didn't associate with mental outcomes such as depression [32]. From what mentioned above, the study drew the conclusion that gender may play a moderated role in the model of RSSNS.

The Resent Study
From mentioned above, firstly, the main goal of this research was to test the relationship between ordinary RSSNS and PA/NA, secondly, this study examined the mediating effect of SA/SE and sequential effect both of them between RSSNS and PA/NA, thirdly, the team evaluated the moderated role of gender.

Participants
The study taken conveniences samples from public high school located in northern city in Shandong province in china, participants were permitted to give up and withdraw at any time. A total of 850 adolescents participated the research, 27 participants were excluded from the data owing to they didn't complete the survey, lastly, 823 subjects taken into the next analysis (577 females). The effected response rates was 96.82%.

Rejection Sensitivity on Social Networking Sites
Scales (RSSNS) The scale was developed by Downey [33], which included 18 items, aiming at testing the intimate relationship, and have being revised by this research in order to fit better to measure the high school students' rejection sensitivity level on social networking sites and conform to the cultures in china. For example, the girlfriend/boyfriend was replaced by classmates/friends, the "You ask your parents for extra money to cover living expenses" was replaced by "You ask your parents for extra money to cover living expenses through mobile phone or social networking sites", and social networking sites was added to all items. The scale was rated by 5-point Likert scale (1=very disagree, 5=very agree). The Cronbach's alpha was 0.806 in this study.

Self Assesion (SA)
The scale was developed by this research team according to Wright, which included 3 items, for example "how you asset yourself--excellent, medium, common", The Cronbach's alpha was 0.519 in this study. Late Adolescents' Positive and Negative Affect

Self Esteem (SE)
The scale was developed by Rosenberg [34], which was one dimension, students rated the 10 items with 4-point Likert scale (1=not at all suit to me, 4=very suit to me), the higher of the total scores was, the higher of the self-esteem was, which were broadly used in previous study in china. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.836 in this research.

Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS)
The scale was developed by Watson [35], which was revised in order to conform to this research, For the positive affect, before testing, 56% of the team worker (included 5 university teachers, 10 adolescents, 3 high school teachers) suggested canceled "alert, strong, attentive" so that suit better to high school students in China. The initial Cronbach's alpha was 0.86 of the questionnaire, this research was 0.915. For the negative affect scale, through discussing, "scared, jittery" were excluded because of they were same with "afraid, nervous" in meaning, At the same, adding "gloomy" to the scale because of it was popular among adolescents in China. After revising, PANAS totally included 15 items, 5-point Likert scale was replaced by 6-point Likert scale because of making it more sensitive. The initial Cronbach's alpha was 0.87 of the questionnaire, this study was 0.863.

Data Analysis
Firstly, descriptive analysis and pearson correlations were calculated among all adolescents, Secondly, The present study used PROCESS macro (Model 6) developed by Hayes [36] to test mediated effects for males' and females' adolescents respectively and the model effect. Thirdly, The present study used PROCESS macro (Model 59) developed by Hayes [36] to test moderated effects for the mediated model among females' adolescents, because the mediated model for males' adolescents was not significant, the moderated analysis was excluded by the system.

Descriptive and Correlation Analysis
First of all, the research assessed whether all data were normally distributed. The values for skewness of 2.0 and higher and kurtosis of 7.0 and higher were considered to high non-normality, which impacted analysis results [37]. However, all of values were below the standards, which indicated that all data were normally distributed (see table 1).
Secondly, the research rated whether all variables were correlated or not. The results demonstrated that all correlation coefficients were significant. (see table 1).

Mediated Effects
The study rated the mediated effects for PA and NA among males' adolescents (see tables 2, 3). Firstly, the study test the mediated effect for PA among males' adolescents and controlled the class level (CL), residence location (RL) and childrens' number (CN). From table 2, the authors drew the conclusions that the directed effect from RSSNS to PA was not remarkable (β= -0.015, P>0.05, model 1); the coefficient from RSSNS to SA was not remarkable (β= -0.008, P>0.05, model 2); the coefficient from RSSNS to SE was not significant ((β=0.066, P>0.05, model 3), and the relation between SA and SE was negatively significant (β= -0.362, P<0.01, model 3); when RSSNS, SA, SE together were added into the equation (F=8.233, P<0.001), only the SE positively associated with PA ((β=0.343, P<0.001, model 4). So the mediated model for PA among males' adolescents didn't remarkable.    To demonstrate the mediated effect among females' adolescents, the bootstrap analysis was conducted (see table  6

Moderated Mediated Effect of Gender
As tables 2, 3, 4, 5 showed, the authors drew the conclusions, the mediated model from RSSNS to PA/NA were insignificant among males' adolescents but significant among females' adolescents, so the mediated model was more fit to females' adolescents, that was to say, gender played a moderated role in the mediated model.

The Directed Effect and the Moderated Role of Gender
Just as the result shown, being in line with our hypothesis, the RSSNS was not related with PA among males' adolescents, but being positively associated with NA among males' adolescents, This was consistent with previous study [38], boys were less sensitive to RS-based appearance than girls. According to the results, the RSSNS made a difference for NA among males' adolescents, which was consistent with negative attention bias, that was, most of the people were sensitive about the negative stimuli [39], especially for males, the males' adolescents responded to negative (RSSNS) events more profoundly, so the level of NA was high. At the same time, the SA negatively related with SE for males' adolescents both for PA and NA., the higher self-assesion was, the more rigid they treated for themselves, and in turn, they would payed more attention to others' idea which produced the higher pressure imposed by others around surroundings, which was not in line with initial hypothesis that SA positively associated with SE. However, SE was positively related to PA among males, which further testified the negative relationship between SE and NA from the opposite side.
For the females' adolescents, there were a remarkable relationship between RSSNS and PA (negatively), NA (positively) respectively, the result was congruent with early results [40], Comparing with males' adolescents, females' adolescents responded to NA such as depression [41], which can be illustrated that females were more sentimental and emotional and they valued the interpersonal relationship than boys [42] so that they payed more attention to others' feedback such as appearance-based click and evaluation in "friend circle" or "Qzone" [43,44], and emotional experiences was more fiercely than males no matter what experienced PA or NA, so when they felt social cues, for example, feeling sensitivity for rejection on social networking sites, the affect varied from PA and NA. The gender played a importantly moderated role. This was the first for us to examine the relationship between RSSNS and affect.

The Mediated Role of Self-assesion and Self-esteem
Being not consistent with the hypothesis, the mediated model was neither significant between RSSNS and PA nor that of NA through SA and SE or both of them for the sequential effect among males' adolescents, the result was partly confirm to prior research [45], for boys, they less cared others' evaluation about themselves and they expected slightly in certain situations, so SA/SE-based feedback may not employ its effect, psychological immunity offset the mediating effect, for example, appearance-based RS didn't correlate with depression, anger and SE [29], males were less impaired by negative cues in term of mental health and emotion [46], that was, the mediated model was wrong among males' adolescents, boys' emotion and affect fluctuation was less impacted by RSSNS, but the further effect needed to investigate whether mediated model was significant or not, because the males' samples of this research was less than females' sample.
The current study firstly test the mediating role of SA and the sequentially mediated effect both of SA and SE for model RSSNS-PA among females' adolescents. As shown above, SA partly mediated the relationship between RSSNS to PA and there was a significant sequentially mediating model between RSSNS and PA through SA and SE. SA negatively related to SE and PA, which was inconsistent with initial hypothesis. When one was rejection online, they would feel risk for self-assesion to strengthen rejection sensitivity in turn according to self worth theory [22], because the interpersonal context was the important stressful sources [47], particularly on SNS where were short of body information and facial expression, the higher of SA was, the higher pressure around others' people online was. Though SA negatively predicted SE, but SE positively associated with PA (sequentially mediating), which could instruct girls to enhance positive affect experiences and decreased self expectation.
The mediating role of SA/SE didn't valid respectively, which didn't confirm to this hypothesis. Just as Jon demonstrated that females had a special fondness for passive cues in order to protect themselves [48], they were anxious and had initial negative affect, when they felt the higher level of risk factors such as rejection online in ambiguous situations, the passively emotional experience was produced fiercely, directly and quickly other than producing through SA or SE, in other word, negative affect directly was impacted by RSSNS based on initial NA, which may be determined by humans' physical characters and wouldn't be controlled by themselves. For the sequential mediating model, the higher RSSNS was, the higher SA was, in turn, they would felt higher self-esteem (SA-SE was positive), because the higher level of SA was, the higher exception was for girls for anythings in future, which produced higher self-esteem, when self-esteem was medium, it couldn't influenced positive affect, but when self-esteem was higher, that was another things that exceeded the proper level, females' adolescents would experience pressure produced by higher RSSNS through SA/SE, it was reasonable to deduce they would experience higher negative affect. So according to the research, the students should reduce anticipation for themselves and maintain medium self-esteem, just as a Chinese idiom goes "wu ji bi fan", in other word, when a thing reaches its extreme, it reverses its course. In China, the psychological phenomenon of "mian zi" was prevalent varying from people to people, so females' adolescents were just the one group of the most of people. When they was rejection online, they felt the danger of "broken mian zi" through the higher level of SA, SE, it was considerable that they would experience higher negative affects.

Implications
This study brought a new insight into the intervention and counteraction for the influences of RSSNS on affect. As mentioned above, the high school students' affect were easy impacted by RSSNS both of girls and boys, as a result, the school policy maker and teacher should focused on the NA of males' adolescents comparing with PA, of which impacted them profoundly, the teachers should teach them methods of emotional regulation to allay the NA. But for females' adolescents, the focus lied in enforcing PA and lessen NA, especially, in China, there were few sentimental management courses even none of that at all in high school because of the stress for entrancing to universities, all of time was consumed to study. It was urged to enhance the management through adding emotional course to fundamental teaching programs. Owing to RSSNS influenced affect differently for various gender, according to the theory of sex role socialization [49], of which, females were regarded as tender, careful, emotional but males were treated as strong, making bread, rational in China. So, females' adolescents were more influenced by rejection on social networking sites, they were sensitive to rejection online (PA, NA), males' adolescents were more immune to rejection sensitivity online comparing with females' adolescents, the courses should also be different, just as a old Chinese proverb saying "teach students in accordance with their aptitude". Secondly, parents and teachers should enhanced the risk perception for social media and strengthened the supervising and controlling for adolescents' using social networking sites (monitoring time and content online, eg, setting restrictions), teaching them correctly deal with stress produced by rejection online, properly regulated emotion varying from males and females' adolescents, which would decrease the bad behaviors and emotion [50]. Thirdly, cognitive empathy training should be offered for heightening gratitude and reduced bad emotion produced by bad behaviors [51].

Conclusion
First of all, the rejection sensitivity on social networking sites (RSSNS) was related with PA and NA among adolescents directly, that was, for the females' adolescents, RSSNS negatively related to PA and positively related to NA and RSSNS was positively related to SA; For the males' adolescents, RSSNS just only positively associated with NA and SA negatively associated with SE, SE positively associated with PA and negatively related to NA. Secondly, the mediated model of self-assessment and sequential mediated effect both of self-assessment and self-esteem were remarkable, that was to say, SA played a partly mediated role and SA, SE played a sequential mediated roles in the model of PA for females' adolescents; The SA, SE played a sequential mediated effect in the model of NA among females' adolescents. Thirdly, from what mentioned above, gender played a moderated role in the mediated model, girls were sensitive to positive affect and negative affect, boys were sensitive to negative affect, so the intervention programs for affect should be different.

Funding Details
This work was not supported by any funding.

Conflicts of Interest
All the authors do not have any possible conflicts of interest.