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Abstract:
This research examined the presence of rejection sensitivity among married individuals whose spouse is in the military and currently deployed to a combat zone in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (ARSQ) was used to address this question among a sample of 129 military spouses living near Fort Campbell, Kentucky and Clarksville, Tennessee whose spouse is currently deployed on military missions to Iraq or Afghanistan. This study utilized self-reports completed by individual spouses as to whether rejection sensitivity influences relationship adjustment as their spouse is away on military missions.
Other potentially confounding variables were examined including gender, age, education, number of times married, number of children in the household, number of previous separations, and the number of months separated during current deployment. Statistical analysis discovered a significantly strong negative relationship between rejection sensitivity (ARSQ) and relationship adjustment (RDAS). These findings document the existence of rejection sensitivity. The hypothesis that the existence of the rejection sensitivity construct can negatively impact a military couple's relationship adjustment is supported by this statistical analysis. Further, the aggregate total time separated as a couple appears to have a significant impact on couple relationships. The development of resilience and coping skills are presented as a means of ameliorating the impact of rejection sensitivity and deployments.
Keywords: rejection sensitivity, military marriages, marital adjustments, resilience
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