Children’s Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (CRSQ)

Background:

Some children respond to social rejection in ways that undermine their relationships. Others respond with more equanimity. The Children’s Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (CRSQ) assesses children’s disposition to defensively (anxiously or angrily) expect, readily perceive, and overreact to social rejection.

Author of Tool:

Downey, G., Lebolt, A., Rincón, C., and Freitas, A. L.

Key references:

Primary use / Purpose:

This is a 12 (twelve) item questionnaire that works with 3rd to 8th graders. Included in this questionnaire are 6 (six) items that, when aggregated, predict teacher reports of interpersonal sensitivity and interpersonal difficulties.

Psychometrics:

For details on psychometrics of scale, see article: Downey, G., Lebolt, A., Rincón, C., and Freitas, A. L. (1998). Rejection sensitivity and children’s interpersonal difficulties. Child Development, 69 (4), 1074-1091.

Other Information:

How to score: Each item in the RSQ-Children’s includes two questions. To obtain a score for each item, multiply scores on each question. The score for each question is simply the chosen number. To obtain a total score, average the scores for all the items.

Children’s Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (CRSQ) – 12 item

Please imagine yourself in each of the following situations described here and tell us how you would feel in each.

1. Imagine you want to buy a present for someone who is really important to you, but you don’t have enough money. So you ask a kid in your class if you could please borrow some money. The kid says, “Okay, wait for me outside the front door after school. I’ll bring the money.” As you stand outside waiting, you wonder if the kid will really come.How NERVOUS would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not the kid will show up?

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not the kid will show up?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6

Do you think the kid will show up to give you the money?

YES!!! NO!!!

1 2 3 4 5 6

2. Imagine you are the last to leave your classroom for lunch one day. As you’re running down the stairs to get to the cafeteria, you hear some kids whispering on the stairs below you. You wonder if they are talking about YOU.How NERVOUS would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not those kids were badmouthing you?

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not those kids were badmouthing you?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6

Do you think they were saying bad things about you?

YES!!! NO!!!

1 2 3 4 5 6

3.Imagine that a kid in your class tells the teacher that you were picking on him/her. You say you didn’t do it. The teacher tells you to wait in the hallway and she will speak to you. You wonder if the teacher will believe you.How NERVOUS would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not the teacher will believe your side of the story?

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not the teacher will believe your side of the story?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6

4.Imagine you had a really bad fight the other day with a friend. Now you have a serious problem, and you wish you had your friend to talk to. You decide to wait for your friend after class and talk with him/her. You wonder if your friend will want to talk to you. How NERVOUS would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not your friend will want to talk to you and listen to your problem?

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not your friend will want to talk to you and listen to your problem?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6

Do you think he/she will want to talk to you and listen to your problem?

YES!!! NO!!!

1 2 3 4 5 6

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not the teacher will choose you?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6Do you think the teacher will choose YOU to meet the special guest?

YES!!! NO!!!

1 2 3 4 5 6

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not he/she will want to talk to you?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6

Do you think he/she will want to talk to you?

YES!!! NO!!!

1 2 3 4 5 6

7. Now imagine that you’re back in class. Your teacher asks for a volunteer to help plan a party for your class. Lots of kids raise their hands so you wonder if the teacher will choose YOU.How NERVOUS would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not the teacher will choose you?

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not the teacher will choose you?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6

Do you think the teacher will choose YOU?

YES!!! NO!!!

1 2 3 4 5 6

8. Imagine it’s Saturday and you’re carrying groceries home for your family. It is raining hard and you want to get home FAST. Suddenly, the paper bag you are carrying rips. All your food tumbles to the ground. You look up and see a couple of kids from your class walking quickly. You wonder if they will stop and help you.How NERVOUS would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not those kids will want to stop and help you?

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not those kids will want to stop and help you?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not the teacher will let you take the video game home this time?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6

Do you think the teacher is going to let you take home the video game this time?

YES!!! NO!!!

1 2 3 4 5 6

10. Imagine you’re back in your classroom, and everyone is splitting up into groups to work on a special project together. You sit there and watch lots of other kids getting picked. As you wait, you wonder if the kids will want you for their group.How NERVOUS would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not they will choose you?

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not they will choose you?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not the teacher will offer to help you?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6

Do you think the teacher will offer to help you?

YES!!! NO!!!

1 2 3 4 5 6

How MAD would you feel, RIGHT THEN, about whether or not the teacher was talking about you?

not mad very, very mad

1 2 3 4 5 6Do you think the teacher meant YOU when she said there was a kid she didn’t like having in the class?

YES!!! NO!!!

1 2 3 4 5 6