The Scale Of Older Adults’ Age-based Rejection Sensitivity And Its Relationship With Self-esteem, Loneliness And Depression

The participants of this study were60-75years older adults; the purpose is to develop a scaleof older adults’ Age-Based Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire and use this questionnaireexplore the development characteristics of the older adults’ rejection sensitivity, at the same toanalyze the mediating influence of self-esteem on the relationship between age-based rejectionsensitivity, self-esteem, loneliness and depression. In the research methods, firstly, based onChinese social and cultural backgrounds, we construct the composed traits of older adults’age-based rejection sensitivity, then designed the“Older Adults’ Age-Based Rejection SensitivityQuestionnaire”according to the strict and standard psychometric process, and by using themethod of the questionnaire measurement and context-created experimental observation toinvestigate the development traits of older adults’ age-based rejection sensitivity. Based on theitems analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability and validity analysis of “Older Adults’Age-Based Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire”; and the analysis of the mediating influence ofself-esteem on the relationship between age-based rejection sensitivity, self-esteem, lonelinessand depression. we reached the following research conclusion:(1)“Older Adults’ Age-BasedRejection Sensitivity Questionnaire” contains two subscales; They are ‘being anxious aboutage-based rejection’ subscale and ‘expecting to age-based rejection’ subscale. And eachassessment structures of subscale contain two rejected situations in which the interacting objectsrespectively are strangers and families. And it has good reliability and validity which isaccording with the psychology metrology requirements. So, it can be used as a measure ofeffective tool for older adults’ age-based rejection sensitivity.(2) There is largely individualdifference between the developments of older adults’ age-based rejection sensitivity. The minorolder adults have not obvious age-based rejection sensitivity. The age-based rejection sensitivity of the most of older adults’ sets in the medium level and few older adults has the tendency ofhigh level of age-based rejection sensitivity.(3) The older adults’ age-based rejectionsensitivity.has significant variation on the level of education. The high education older adults showlower age-based rejection sensitivity; the low education older adults show high age-basedrejection sensitivity. As well as the gender, age and income have not significant variation.(4)The level of older adults’ age-based rejection sensitivity would gradually increase when they arein the face of families and strangers; as they are in the face of the strangers, they would showhigh age-based rejection sensitivity; but when confronted with the rejection of families, theywould have lower age-based rejection sensitivity.(5) Age-based rejection sensitivity hasprediction function to loneliness and depression; and the self-esteem has partially mediatinginfluence on the relationship between age-based rejection sensitivity, self-esteem, loneliness anddepression.