Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Ostracism is social exclusion often without explanation (Williams, 2007).Past research reports mixed findings on the effect that ostracism has on individuals' tendencies to seek or avoid social contact following rejection.Some findings suggest that ostracism threatens individuals' need for belonging, leading them to seek further social contact.Theory of Mind (ToM) decoding involves inferring the internal mental states of others using observable information in the social environment, and past research has found that ToM is enhanced by social motivation.The present study examined the effect of ostracism on subsequent ToM decoding among a female undergraduate sample (n = 295).Participants were randomly assigned to be included or excluded by computer-generated players during an online game of ball toss, wherein participants were led to believe they were playing with real peers.ToM was subsequently assessed using a task that involves attributing complex mental states to photographs of eyes.Results indicated that ostracism was associated with enhanced ToM decoding performance for stimuli exhibiting positive mental states.This tendency to more accurately judge others' internal states following rejection might represent an adaptive response to ostracism; individuals may identify opportunities for establishing relationships and attaining social support, which might buffer the negative psychological effects of social rejection.
Author: Hanna, Joshua T
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W835863648