Rejection Versus Acceptance

Peer rejection and acceptance both denote peers’ sentiments toward individuals, but they differ in valence; that is, peer rejection refers to the degree to which individuals are disliked by peers, whereas peer acceptance refers to the degree to which individuals are liked by peers. Importantly, both peer rejection and acceptance comprise the sentiments of a group of individuals, essentially the aggregated levels of peer disliking and liking, respectively, rather than the sentiments of a particular individual. Thus, each represents individuals’ overall standing within a peer group. In distinguishing between peer rejection and acceptance, it is important to acknowledge that they are two distinct constructs rather than opposite poles of a single continuum.

Both peer rejection and acceptance are concurrently and longitudinally predictive of a range of ...