Ostracism, Exclusion, and Rejection

Ostracism, Exclusion, and Rejection examines research into the related phenomena of ostracism, exclusion and rejection. Most individuals have experienced both sides of the coin: being ostracized and ostracizing others. People experience mild forms of ostracism on a daily basis, but some endure years and decades of being the social outcast. How does it feel to be shunned, left out, not wanted? Research suggests that even the mildest and briefest forms of ostracism are painful and have downstream consequences to our feelings of social connection. Longer-term ostracism has devastating consequences on individuals' health and well-being. This innovative compilation covers how being cast out affects the brain and body chemistry, feelings and emotions, thoughts and beliefs, and behaviors. In addition to the primary focus on targets of ostracism, researchers also examine the motives and consequences of ostracizing. Social scientists from social psychology, developmental psychology, neuroscience, communication science, cross-cultural psychology, and anthropology tackle these questions with cutting-edge methods and provocative theories. A key volume for all in those fields, this book also presents applications from the schoolyard to the workplace, and sounds a much-needed call for further research on this universal behavior of all social animals.

Kipling D. Williams is Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University. His prior posts have been at Macquarie University and the University of New South Wales, the University of Toledo, and Drake University. His research focuses on ostracism and social influence. Steve A. Nida is Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology at The Citadel, in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a social psychologist whose research interests have also included helping behavior and sports psychology.

1. Introduction and Overview Kipling D. Williams and Steve A. Nida 2. Ostracism: Being Ignored and Excluded Dongning Ren, Andrew H. Hales, Kipling D. Williams 3. Alone and Impulsive: Self-regulatory Capacity Mediates and Moderates the Implications of Exclusion Levi R. Baker and Roy F. Baumeister 4. Motivational and Emotional Aspects of Interpersonal Rejection: Twenty-five Years of Theory and Research Mark R. Leary 5. The Shared Neural Substrates of Physical and Social Pain Kristina Tchalova and Naomi I. Eisenberger 6. Acute and Chronic Physiological Consequences of Social Rejection Ellie Shuo Jin, Robert A. Josephs 7. Only the Lonely: The Curious Case of Exclusion and Aggression C. Nathan DeWall, Brian Enjaian, Sarah Beth Bell 8. Social Exclusion and the Self Cynthia L. Pickett, Yanine D. Hess 9. Creating the Silence: Ostracism from the Perspective of the Source Lisa Zadro, Alexandra Godwin, Elena Svetieva, Nisha Sethi, Rose Iannuzzelli, & Karen Gonsalkorale 10. Social Surrogates and Rejection: How Reading, Watching TV, and Eating Comfort Food Can Ease the Pain of Social Isolation Shira Gabriel & Jennifer Valenti 11. Rejection in Romantic Relationships Danu Anthony Stinson, John G. Holmes, Theresa H. He 12. Ostracism from a Cross-Cultural Perspective Juliette Schaafsma 13. Ostracism in Children and Adolescents Steve A. Nida and Conway F. Saylor 14. Normative Exclusion and Attraction to Extreme Groups: Resolving Identity-Uncertainty Michael A. Hogg & Joseph A. Wagoner 15. Workplace Ostracism Sandra Robinson and Kira Schabram 16. Social Media and Ostracism Peter Vorderer & Frank M. Schneider 17. Anthropological Aspects of Ostracism Patrik Söderberg & Douglas P. Fry 18. Social Exclusion Research: Where Do We Go From Here? Eric D. Wesselmann, Kipling D. Williams, & Steve A. Nida