title: Trait self-esteem moderates the effect of initiator status on emotional and cognitive responses to romantic relationship dissolution.
abstract: We hypothesized that the effect of initiator status on post breakup distress would vary as a function of trait self-esteem, such that individuals with low self-esteem would experience more distress after being rejected by their partners, whereas, among individuals with high self-esteem, initiator status would not predict distress. We used a prospective design in which university students (N=66) were assessed for emotional responses following the dissolution of their real-life romantic relationships, as well as a laboratory design in which students (N=190) imagined breaking up with their partners. As predicted, participants with lower trait self-esteem exhibited greater distress after experiencing or imagining a romantic rejection than after ending or imagining themselves ending their relationships. Conversely, distress experienced by those with high trait self-esteem did not differ as a function of who ended the relationship. Implications for understanding self-esteem processes and the effects of romantic rejection are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Waller
authors.forename: Tara K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: MacDonald
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002605:Character; D003380:Courtship; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult