Children’s Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (CRSQ)
Measures children's disposition to anxiously or angrily expect, readily perceive, and overreact to social rejection.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Children’s Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (CRSQ) was developed by Downey, G., Lebolt, A., Rincón, C., & Freitas, A. L. (1998). It is designed to measure Rejection Sensitivity. The scale is intended for use with Children and adolescents (3rd to 8th graders).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 36 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Anxious Rejection Sensitivity (Nervousness), Angry Rejection Sensitivity (Anger), Rejection Expectancy.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Anxious Rejection Sensitivity (Nervousness) | 1,4,7,10,13,16,19,22,25,28,31,34 | 12 |
| Angry Rejection Sensitivity (Anger) | 2,5,8,11,14,17,20,23,26,29,32,35 | 12 |
| Rejection Expectancy | 3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27,30,33,36 | 12 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = 1 (Not nervous / Not mad / YES!!!), 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6 (Very, very nervous / Very, very mad / NO!!!).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 36. Interpretation guidelines:
- Rejection Sensitivity Score (calculated by multiplying the affect score [Anxiety or Anger] by the Expectancy score for each scenario, then averaging across scenarios): 1 – 36
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.