TABLE 1.

Examples of Targeted Rejection and Nontargeted Rejection Events

	Life Domain of Event
Event Type	Work	School	Relationship
Targeted Rejection	Subject, a highly specialized chemical engineer, is fired by manager who says that Subject failed to follow “safety protocol.” Jobs of comparable status and pay are scarce.	Subject, a third-year graduate student, fails qualifying examination for the second time. The education committee asks Subject to leave the program, as per the program’s guidelines.	Subject wants to talk about spending more time with partner, who Subject has been seeing for three years. Partner says the issue cannot be resolved and unexpectedly terminates their relationship.
Nontargeted Rejection	Subject is laid off with two coworkers, as their boss announces the merger of their workgroup with another to “improve the department’s efficiency.” Financial hardship ensues.	Subject, a medical student, is caught cheating on an exam and will need to retake the course. The transgression will be permanently noted in Subject’s file and all future recommendation letters.	Subject finds a series of sexually explicit e-mails on Spouse’s computer, revealing Spouse’s longstanding unfaithfulness. Subject moves out and ends the six-year relationship.