One of the three subtheories of
PARTheory. Personality subtheory focuses on a constellation of personality dispositions that is postulated to characterize rejected children and adults the world over. These dispositions include
dependence, healthy
independence, and
defensive independence, depending on the form, frequency, timing, and severity of rejection;
emotional unresponsiveness;
hostility,
aggression,
passive aggression, or
problems with the management of hostility and aggression; negative
self-esteem; negative
self-adequacy; negative
worldview; and
emotional instability. Each of these personality dispositions falls on a continuum of "more" or "less." The seven personality dispositions in their "negative" expressions (e.g., emotional unresponsiveness) represent a constellation of interrelated and measurable characteristics that are predicted in personality subtheory and in the
acceptance-rejection syndrome to result from the experience of rejection in all sociocultural systems, races, and languages of the world. Additionally, PARTheory's personality subtheory postulates that rejected children are likely to experience
anxiety and
insecurity in their relationship with their rejecting parent(s). As a result of these experiences rejected children are also likely to develop distorted
mental representations about themselves, others, the experiential world, and interpersonal relationships. The latter three dispositions are not routinely assessed, however, because valid and reliable measures have yet to be developed for use in multi-ethnic and international research.
