Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Sinclair, H. Colleen

Committee Member

Giesen, J. Martin

Committee Member

Armstrong, Kevin

Date of Degree

12-11-2009

Original embargo terms

MSU Only Indefinitely

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Campus Access Only

Major

Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Psychology

Abstract

This 2 x 3 factorial study focuses on roles of different rejection types (instigating force) and lack of self-regulation (weak inhibiting force) on the commission of obsessive relational intrusion (ORI). Rejection was manipulated through vignettes depicting no rejection or one of two types of romantic rejection: an explicit rejection (rejection that makes an internal attribution to the rejected as cause of relationship ending) or a passive rejection that “lets the pursuer down easy” (external attributions for relationship demise). Self-regulation was manipulated through a thought suppression exercise (2 conditions: free writing/no suppression vs. restricted writing/thought suppression). After scenario and writing exercise, participants (N = 221) rated their likelihood of thinking or engaging in ORI. A main effect of rejection and an interaction between rejection and self-regulation were observed. Participants explicitly rejected reported higher scores for aggressive acts compared to participants passively rejected. The difference was exacerbated with depleted self-regulation.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/17497

Comments

stalking||intimate partner violence|aggression

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