Investigations into differences between social- and cyberostracism

This article presents 4 studies examining the impact of being ignored and excluded via computer-mediated communication (CMC). The focus is the differences between social- and cyberostracism. Study 1 replicated K. D. Williams, C. K. T. Cheung, and W. Choi's (2000) cyberostracism experiment, which showed negative consequences of being ostracized in a virtual ball toss game. Studies 2 and 3 examined ostracism in a chat room environment, again showing negative consequences of ostracism, even when compared with negatively charged inclusion. Study 4 directly compared responses to CMC with face-to-face (or social) ostracism. Results suggest that whereas both modes of ostracism are aversive, aspects of CMC provide targets with "virtual bravado" that might buffer negative effects of cyberostracism.