What the RSQ measures
Rejection Sensitivity is a psychological disposition wherein a person anxiously expects, readily perceives, and overreacts to social rejection. According to Downey and Feldman, individuals high in Rejection Sensitivity are trapped in a self-fulfilling prophecy: their intense fear of abandonment makes them hyper-vigilant to minor slights, causing them to lash out or become clingy, which in turn drives their partner away—proving their original fear true.
The dimensions it assesses
- Degree of Anxiety: How anxious or concerned the person feels about the outcome.
- Expectation of Rejection: How likely the person thinks it is that they will actually be rejected.
Already have a RSQ score from somewhere else? Look it up without retaking the questionnaire.
What your score means
This test uses a specific multiplicative scoring algorithm.
| Score | Interpretation | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 – 8.9 | Low Rejection Sensitivity | Highly secure attachment style. Does not expect rejection, and even if rejected, does not internalize it as a catastrophic reflection of self-worth. |
| 9.0 – 14.9 | Moderate / Average Sensitivity | Normal social apprehension. Worries about high-stakes rejections (like asking someone out) but functions normally in daily interactions. |
| 15.0 – 36.0 | High Rejection Sensitivity | Clinical red flag. The user anxiously anticipates rejection in almost every interpersonal interaction. Highly predictive of relationship self-sabotage, severe jealousy, and Borderline Personality traits. |
These ranges describe groups of people, not individuals. A score near a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it, and no range on this table is a diagnosis.
What to do with your result
- The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: High scorers must be taught the Downey & Feldman feedback loop. Because they expect rejection, they scan for it. They misinterpret a partner being tired as the partner pulling away. The high scorer then becomes hostile or clingy, which annoys the partner, who then actually pulls away—confirming the high scorer's original fear. Awareness of this loop is the first step to breaking it.
- Cognitive Reappraisal: High scorers must learn to forcefully generate three alternative explanations for a perceived slight before reacting. (e.g., If a friend doesn't text back, 1. They are driving, 2. Their phone died, 3. They are sleeping—NOT "They hate me").
- Relationship Triangulation: High scores here strongly correlate with the "Anxious-Preoccupied" attachment style. Cross-reference or recommend the ECR-R (Adult Attachment Scale) for deeper relationship insights.
Common questions about the RSQ
- What does the RSQ measure?
- The measurement of anxious expectation and overreaction to perceived rejection in close interpersonal relationships.
- Can the RSQ diagnose me?
- No. Sensitivity to Rejection (RSQ) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. Grief, burnout, a thyroid problem, medication side effects, chronic pain and months of bad sleep are not among its questions, and any of them can move a score. Telling those apart is what a professional assessment is for.
- What is considered a high score on the RSQ?
- Scores of 15.0 – 36.0 fall in the range described as "High Rejection Sensitivity", while 1.0 – 8.9 is described as "Low Rejection Sensitivity". Those labels describe bands of scores rather than people, and a score sitting one point either side of a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it.
- How long does the RSQ take?
- 9 questions, which most people finish in 8 – 10 minutes. There is no time limit, and answering honestly matters more than answering quickly. The results page checks for patterns suggesting the questions were rushed.
- Is this RSQ test really free?
- Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.
- Are my answers stored or shared?
- No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.
- How often should I retake the RSQ?
- Most of these questionnaires ask about the past one to two weeks, so retaking sooner than that mostly measures the same period twice. Every two to four weeks is a reasonable rhythm if you are tracking change. A direction of travel over several weeks tells a doctor far more than any single score.
- How accurate is the RSQ?
- Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.
Sources
Rights held by Downey & Feldman (1996), Columbia University. Developed and validated by the researchers cited below.
- Downey, G., & Feldman, S. I. (1996). Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70(6), 1327-1343.
- Ayduk, O., Mendoza-Denton, R., Mischel, W., Downey, G., Peake, P. K., & Rodriguez, M. (2000). Regulating the interpersonal self: strategic self-regulation for coping with rejection sensitivity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 776-792.
Licensing
free-permitted. Distributed by the authors for free research use.