Ostracism in Everyday Life: The Effects of Ostracism on Those Who Ostracize

John B. Nezlek*, Eric D. Wesselmann, Ladd Wheeler, Kipling D. Williams

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    72 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Ostracism is a negative interpersonal experience that has been studied primarily in laboratory settings. Moreover, these studies have focused primarily on how people feel when they have been ostracized. The present study extended this research by investigating ostracism as it occurs in daily life, focusing on how people feel about ostracizing someone. Using a method modeled after the Rochester Interaction Record (RIR), for two weeks, 64 participants (adults residing in the community) described what happened each time they ostracized someone. The questions in the diary were based on Williamss (2001) need-threat model of ostracism. Most ostracism episodes were directed toward people of equal status, and participants reported lower levels of belonging but higher levels of control after ostracizing someone. Punitive ostracism was associated with more positive outcomes for the source than when people ostracized someone for other reasons.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)432-451
    Number of pages20
    JournalJournal of Social Psychology
    Volume155
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 3 Sept 2015

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