The Relationship between Rejection Sensitivity and Interpersonal Competence in Middle School Students: The Moderating Effect of Self-Compassion

Objectives This study aimed to examine the moderating effect of self-compassion on the relationship between rejection sensitivity and interpersonal competence among first-year middle school students. Methods For this purpose, a survey consisting of rejection sensitivity, interpersonal competence, and self-compassion scales was conducted on first-year male and female students attending five middle schools in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province (3 in Jeju City, 2 in Seogwipo City), and a total of 465 people were surveyed. Data is used for analysis. The data were subjected to hierarchical regression analysis using SPSS 23.0 to confirm the moderating effect. Results The moderating effect of self-compassion was confirmed in the relationship between rejection sensitivity and interpersonal competence. When rejection sensitivity was high, the effect of self-compassion was found to be minimal, but when rejection sensitivity was low, it was confirmed that the higher the self-compassion, the higher the interpersonal competence. Conclusions Although adolescents with high rejection sensitivity are likely to experience less interpersonal competence, this suggests that increasing the level of self-compassion through a self-compassion promotion program can alleviate the decline in interpersonal competence caused by rejection sensitivity. Lastly, the significance of this study and the application and suggestions for counseling intervention were discussed.