Mindset, Resilience, and Rejection Sensitivity in Individuals with Physical Disabilities

Background: Individuals with physical disabilities often experience social rejection, leading to heightened rejection sensitivity. Mindset and resilience may play crucial roles in how these individuals cope with rejection sensitivity, but their relationship has not been fully explored.Objective: To examine the relationship between mindset, resilience, and rejection sensitivity in individuals with physical disabilities, and to determine if mindset and resilience predict rejection sensitivity.Methods: A correlational research design was used, with a purposive sample of 70 participants (41 males, 29 females) from public colleges and universities in Lahore. Data were collected using the Mindset Inventory (Dweck, 1999), State-Trait Resilience Scale (Hiew, 1999), and Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical regression were applied.Results: A fixed mindset was positively correlated with rejection sensitivity (r = 0.38, p < 0.01). Resilience did not significantly predict rejection sensitivity. Demographic factors like family system (β = 0.31, p < 0.01) and education (β = -0.27, p < 0.05) were significant predictors.Conclusion: Fixed mindset was linked to increased rejection sensitivity, while resilience did not predict it. Interventions should focus on modifying fixed beliefs to reduce rejection sensitivity in individuals with physical disabilities.