Free rejection sensitivity self-check (A-RSQ) (A-RSQ)

A quick, private check based on the A-RSQ. Free, scored on your device, and yours to keep.

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9 situations, takes about 4 minutes. Nothing is saved.
9 situations Takes about 4 minutes Scored privately in your browser

The items below describe situations in which people sometimes ask things of others. For each item, imagine that you are in the situation, and then answer the questions that follow it.

You ask your parents or another family member for a loan to help you through a difficult financial time.

How concerned or anxious would you be over whether or not your family would want to help you?

I would expect that they would agree to help as much as they can.

You approach a close friend to talk after doing or saying something that seriously upset him/her.

How concerned or anxious would you be over whether or not your friend would want to talk with you?

I would expect that he/she would want to talk with me to try to work things out.

You bring up the issue of sexual protection with your significant other and tell him/her how important you think it is.

How concerned or anxious would you be over his/her reaction?

I would expect that he/she would be willing to discuss our possible options without getting defensive.

You ask your supervisor for help with a problem you have been having at work.

How concerned or anxious would you be over whether or not the person would want to help you?

I would expect that he/she would want to try to help me out.

After a bitter argument, you call or approach your significant other because you want to make up.

How concerned or anxious would you be over whether or not your significant other would want to make up with you?

I would expect that he/she would be at least as eager to make up as I would be.

You ask your parents or other family members to come to an occasion important to you.

How concerned or anxious would you be over whether or not they would want to come?

I would expect that they would want to come.

At a party, you notice someone on the other side of the room that you'd like to get to know, and you approach him or her to try to start a conversation.

How concerned or anxious would you be over whether or not the person would want to talk with you?

I would expect that he/she would want to talk with me.

Lately you've been noticing some distance between yourself and your significant other, and you ask him/her if there is something wrong.

How concerned or anxious would you be over whether or not he/she still loves you and wants to be with you?

I would expect that he/she will show sincere love and commitment to our relationship no matter what else may be going on.

You call a friend when there is something on your mind that you feel you really need to talk about.

How concerned or anxious would you be over whether or not your friend would want to listen?

I would expect that he/she would listen and support me.

Two moss-topped boulders on a pebble shore with a narrow channel of still water between them, misty headlands beyond

What this check measures

Rejection sensitivity is how strongly you expect to be turned down when you ask something of someone. The check puts nine ordinary situations to you, from asking a parent for help to starting a conversation with a stranger. Each one asks two things: how anxious you would feel, and how likely you think a good response would be.

How the scoring works

Each situation is scored by multiplying how concerned you felt by how unlikely you thought a warm response was. A situation only scores high when worry and low expectation meet together. The nine results are then averaged into one score between 1 and 36. Some situations involve a partner; if that does not fit your life, answer as you imagine it would be.

ScoreWhat it suggests

What it cannot tell you

This is not a diagnosis and it does not name a condition. It describes one pattern in how you approach other people, measured against a group of adults who took the same nine questions online. A high score does not mean something is wrong with you, and a low one does not mean nothing is.

You brace for a no before you have finished asking, or read a short reply as a verdict. This is a free, private check on rejection sensitivity: how strongly you expect to be turned down. Nine everyday situations, about four minutes, scored on your device and stored nowhere.

Questions people ask

Working on the patterns that keep repeating

Relationships & Connection
Fog moving through a stand of conifers, the nearest trunks sharp and the further ones fading, sword ferns and moss below

This is a free screening tool, not a diagnosis. It can help you notice patterns and decide whether to reach out. Your answers stay on your device; nothing is sent or saved.

References
  • Berenson, K. R., Gyurak, A., Ayduk, O., Downey, G., Garner, M. J., Mogg, K., Bradley, B. P., & Pine, D. S. (2009). Rejection sensitivity and disruption of attention by social threat cues. Journal of Research in Personality, 43(6), 1064-1072. DOI:10.1016/j.jrp.2009.07.007.
  • Downey, G., & Feldman, S. I. (1996). Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70(6), 1327-1343. DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.70.6.1327.

About this tool. Introspectus Counselling is a counselling practice. Sean Lewis is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC), not a physician or registered psychologist. This tool is educational and cannot provide a diagnosis. For a formal diagnosis or a disability assessment, please see a physician or registered psychologist.

Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire, Adult version (A-RSQ). Berenson, K. R., et al. (2009), adapted from Downey & Feldman (1996). The measure is freely available to the public; Kathy R. Berenson, Ph.D., Gettysburg College, grants permission for anyone to use, adapt or translate it. Reproduced here unchanged.

Reviewed by Sean Lewis, Canadian Certified Counsellor · Introspectus Counselling, Colwood BC · Last updated July 2026