Fear of Rejection, Self-Compassion, and Submissive Behaviour Among University Students in Lahore: A Cross-Sectional Moderation Study

Abstract

Fear of rejection may shape how university students respond to criticism, interpersonal uncertainty, and the possibility of exclusion, while self-compassion may provide an internal resource that reduces threat based responding. This study examined relationships among fear of rejection, self-compassion, and submissive behaviour and tested whether self-compassion moderated the association between fear of rejection and submissive behaviour among university students in Lahore, Pakistan. A quantitative cross sectional correlational design was used. Publication analyses were restricted to 133 observed participant records retained after consent, scale completion, and response quality screening; 48 clearly identified synthetic rows in the supplied workbook were excluded from all empirical claims. Participants completed the Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire, the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form, and selected Nonassertive and Exploitable items from the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems. Fear of rejection was not significantly related to submissive behaviour, r = .077, p = .378, and self-compassion was not significantly related to submissive behaviour, r =  .011, p = .904. In simultaneous regression, neither fear of rejection, B = .017, p = .383, nor self-compassion, B = .006, p = .956, uniquely predicted submissive behaviour. The interaction between fear of rejection and self-compassion was also non significant, B = .015, p = .609. Findings suggest that social evaluative threat, compassionate self-relating, and submissive interpersonal behaviour may operate as distinct processes in this sample. Measurement reliability and culturally specific meanings of deference and submission require particular attention in future Pakistani research.