Confrontation as an interpersonal response to ostracism

Abstract

Ostracism-being ignored and excluded by others-has detrimental effects on targets. Confrontation allows targets to express displeasure with mistreatment. Three studies examined confrontation in response to ostracism. In Study 1, participants completed an ostracism manipulation, Cyberball, and were given the opportunity to message their ostracizers. Message coding indicated that one-third of targets wrote messages expressing unhappiness with how they were treated, significantly more than included participants. In Studies 2 and 3, participants completed Cyberball before random assignment to a distraction, writing, or confrontation task. Analysis of need-recovery indicated that the distraction consistently improved need-satisfaction and affective recovery between the immediate and delayed measurements. Results provided mixed support regarding the effectiveness of confrontation in coping with ostracism; however, no significant changes in need satisfaction were seen for those in the writing condition. In sum, distraction is a response to ostracism that may improve the recovery of depleted need-satisfaction following ostracism better than confrontation.

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Raising awareness about social exclusion in schools through experiential learning

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