The high costs of low agreeableness: Low agreeableness exacerbates interpersonal consequences of rejection sensitivity in U.S. and Chinese adolescents

•The relations between rejection sensitivity, agreeableness, and youth adjustment are examined in American youth and Chinese youth.•Across both populations, rejection sensitivity is more associated with withdrawal and low friendship satisfaction for youth low in agreeableness compared with youth high in agreeableness.•Findings suggest low agreeableness may be a universal risk factor for interpersonal difficulties among youth who are highly sensitive to rejection.

Although personality is a powerful predictor of adjustment, its potential moderating effects have been less studied in youth. This investigation examined why some youth are more susceptible to the negative consequences of rejection sensitivity than others. Two separate studies tested the hypothesis that agreeableness moderates the links between rejection sensitivity and interpersonal outcomes. Study 1 included 198 boys and 264 girls from the U.S.A. (M = 14.24 years old). Study 2 included 86 boys and 115 girls from China (M = 14.21 years old). Across studies, low agreeableness and high rejection sensitivity were uniquely associated with withdrawal, friendship dissatisfaction, and adverse conflict consequences. Cross-cultural replication underscores the universality of the risk confronting low agreeable youth with elevated rejection sensitivity.