The Loneliness of the Odd One Out: How Deviations From Social Norms Can Help Explain Loneliness Across Cultures

Loneliness is an important health risk, which is why it is important to understand what can cause persistent or severe loneliness. Previous research has identified numerous personal or relational risk factors for loneliness. Cultural predictors, however, have been considered less. The new framework of norm deviations and loneliness (NoDeL) proposes that social norms, which are defining features of culture, can help explain loneliness within and across cultural contexts. Specifically, people who deviate from social norms are suggested to be at an increased risk for feeling lonely because they are more likely to experience alienation, inauthenticity, lower self-worth, social rejection, relationship dissatisfaction, and/or unfulfilled relational needs. Given that social norms vary by social, geographical, and temporal context, they can furthermore be considered cultural moderators between individual-level risk factors and loneliness: Personal or relational characteristics, such as shyness or being single, may increase the risk for loneliness particularly if they do not fit social norms in a specific environment. Integrating previous quantitative and qualitative findings, I hence offer a framework (NoDeL) to predict loneliness and cultural differences in risk factors for it. Thus, the NoDeL framework may help prepare culture-sensitive interventions against loneliness.

Examining the Relationship between Academic Expectations and Suicidal Ideation among College Students in India Using the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

OBJECTIVE

As the second most populous country in the world, India accounts for over 20% of the global suicide deaths. Notably, young adults make up 38% of those who die by suicide in India. Yet, the literature on factors associated with suicide within this age group in India is limited. The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS) posits thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness as constructs that heighten the risk for suicide. Testing mechanisms that may mediate the relationship between common stressors for young adults in India, such as academic expectations, and suicidal ideation are important to better understand factors contributing to suicide risk within this country.

METHOD

Indian college students (N = 432, Mage = 19.41, 73.1% male) completed questionnaires on academic expectations, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, collectivism, and suicidal ideation.

RESULTS

Current suicidal ideation was endorsed at a rate of 38%. Academic expectancy from the self, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness was significantly associated with suicidal ideation. The only significantly mediated pathway was academic expectancy from others to suicidal ideation through perceived burdensomeness. Collectivism was not a significant moderator in the model.

DISCUSSION

The sample endorsed high rates of suicidal ideation, highlighting the need for culturally appropriate interventions. Thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and academic expectations from oneself may be relevant treatment targets for reducing suicidal ideation among college students in India.HIGHLIGHTSOver one-third of Indian university students endorsed suicidal ideation.Suicidal ideation related to one's own more than others' academic expectations.Results offer support for the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide within this context.

When ostracism is mandated: COVID-19, social distancing, and psychological needs

Social distancing to limit the spread of COVID-19 poses a unique psychological challenge, especially in light of evidence for the importance of even minimal cues of inclusion. In a German (N = 546) and a US (N = 199) sample, we examined the impact of work-related social distancing on the outcomes of ostracism, measuring need fulfillment in self-esteem, belonging, control, and meaning. Overall, social distancing was associated with decreased need fulfillment. German participants reported a higher need fulfillment compared to American participants. Compared to previous studies, social distancing impacted self-related need fulfillment less than experimental manipulations of ostracism, however more so than the baseline condition of inclusion. Working, while social distancing was associated with greater need fulfillment, as was identifying as male. Women reported lower need fulfillment overall and this difference was mediated by the need to belong. Results are discussed in terms of understanding self-related needs in different contexts of isolation.

Workplace ostracism and service performance: The mediating role of job tension, organizational identification, and work engagement

Given the empirical evidence indicating the relationship between workplace ostracism and counterproductive work behavior, this study aims to tackle, in a collectivistic culture, the impact of workplace ostracism on service performance. EFA and CFA were run on the quantitative data collected, online, from 242 respondents. Reliability and validity were assessed. The findings reveal that the relationship between workplace ostracism and service performance is partially mediated by job tension, organizational identification, and work engagement. Organizational identification, in such a collectivistic context, is shown to buffer the negative impact of workplace ostracism on service performance, supporting the results of earlier studies. Different implications are highlighted and recommendations for future research are communicated too.

Measuring Ostracism-Induced Changes in Consumption of Palatable Food: Feasibility of a Novel Behavioral Task

Purpose

Ostracism is a highly aversive interpersonal experience. Previous research suggests that it can increase consumption of highly palatable food in some individuals, but decrease it in others. Thus, we developed the Cyberball-Milkshake Task (CMT), to facilitate research investigating individual differences in ostracism's effects on consumption of highly palatable food. We present data on feasibility for the CMT in a sample of young adult women.

Materials and Methods

Participants were 22 women, 18-30 years old, reporting very low or very high levels of emotional eating at screening. Participants performed the CMT, which consisted of 12 trials. Each trial included: playing a round of Cyberball (a computerized game of catch with fictitious "other participants" programmed to either include or exclude the participant); viewing a chocolate image; and then consuming a participant-determined amount of milkshake. Participants subsequently played an additional inclusion and exclusion round of Cyberball, each immediately followed by questionnaires assessing current mood and recent Cyberball experience.

Results

Cyberball exclusion (vs. inclusion) was associated with large, significant increases in reported ostracism and threats to self-esteem; exclusion's effects on affect were in the expected direction (e.g., increased negative affect), but generally small and non-significant. Milkshake intake was measurable for 95% of participants, on 96% of trials. Intake decreased quadratically across trials, with a steep negative slope for low trial numbers that decreased to the point of being flat for the highest trial numbers.

Discussion

The CMT is a generally feasible approach to investigating ostracism's effects on consumption of highly palatable food. The feasibility (and validity) of the CMT may benefit from modification (e.g., fewer trials and longer rounds of Cyberball). Future research should examine whether performance on a modified version of the CMT predicts real-world behavior in a larger sample.

The Effect of Ostracism on Adults' Materialism: The Roles of Security and Self-Construal

With consumer culture becoming more prominent, the value of materialism is growing rapidly. This study explored the formation of materialism in adults, based on the temporal need–threat model of ostracism and the theory of materialistic values. Specifically, this study examined the link between ostracism and materialism from the perspective of security and the moderating role of self-construal in this process. A sample of 1,272 Chinese adults (M_age = 35.90 ± 11.59, 47.2% male) was recruited to complete the Ostracism Experiences Scale, the Material Values Scale, the Security Questionnaire, and the Self-Construal Scale. The results showed that (1) ostracism positively predicted materialism in Chinese adults; (2) security partially mediated the relationship between ostracism and materialism; (3) and self-construal moderated this mediation model. The moderating effect of self-construal on the relationship between ostracism and security was significant. Specifically, the direct effect of ostracism on security was much stronger for adults with interdependent self-construal than for those with independent self-construal. However, self-construal had no significant moderating effect on the direct effect of ostracism on materialism. These findings suggest that ostracism may affect materialism by damaging adults’ feelings of security, and independent self-construal can buffer the damage of ostracism on security.

Priming third-party social exclusion does not elicit children's inclusion of out-group members

This study investigates how culture and priming 3- to 7-year-old children (N = 186) with third-party social exclusion affects their subsequent inclusion of out-group members. Children in societies that tend to value social independence (Germany, New Zealand) and interdependence (Northern Cyprus) were randomly assigned to minimal groups. Next, they watched video stimuli depicting third-party social exclusion (exclusion condition) or neutral content (control condition). We assessed children's recognition of the social exclusion expressed in the priming videos and their understanding of the emotional consequences thereof. We furthermore assessed children's inclusion behaviour in a ball-tossing game in which participants could include an out-group agent into an in-group interplay. Children across societies detected third-party social exclusion and ascribed lower mood to excluded than non-excluded protagonists. Children from Germany and New Zealand were more likely to include the out-group agent into the in-group interaction than children from Northern Cyprus. Children's social inclusion remained unaffected by their exposure to third-party social exclusion primes. These results suggest that children from diverse societies recognize social exclusion and correctly forecast its negative emotional consequences, but raise doubt on the notion that social exclusion exposure affects subsequent social inclusion.

Trolls Without Borders: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Victim Reactions to Verbal and Silent Aggression Online

Trolling-the online exploitation of website, chat, or game mechanics at another user's expense-can and does take place all over cyberspace. It can take myriad forms, as well-some verbal, like trash-talking an opponent in a game, and some silent, like refusing to include a new player in a team effort during an in-game quest. However, despite this variety, there are few to no studies comparing the effects of these differing trolling types on victims. In addition, no study has yet taken into account users' offline cultural context and norms into the trolling victim experience. To fill this gap in the literature, the present study put participants from three culturally-distinct countries-Pakistan, Taiwan, and the Netherlands-in a simulated trolling interaction using the Cyberball game. Participants were either flamed (read: harshly insulted) or ostracized by a member of their own cultural group (ingroup) or a minority member (outgroup), and the participants' emotional responses, behavioral intentions toward the other players, and messages sent during the game were taken as indicators of their response to the trolling. Results showed that our Taiwanese sample used the most reactive aggression when trolled and our Dutch sample was the most passive. In addition, ostracism generally produced the desire to repair relationships, irrespective of cultural context, and perpetrator culture (ingroup or outgroup) only produced an effect in the behavioral intentions of our Pakistani sample. Overall, it would appear that online and offline culture interact to produce the variety of responses to trolling seen in extant literature. Additional implications for future research into computer-mediated communication and online aggression are also discussed.

Loudness Perceptions Influence Feelings of Interpersonal Closeness and Protect Against Detrimental Psychological Effects of Social Exclusion

We propose that perceptions of auditory loudness and interpersonal closeness are bidirectionally related. Across 12 experiments (total N = 2,219; 10 preregistered; with Singaporean, British, U.S. American, and Australian participants), we demonstrated that louder audio made people feel physically (Study 1a) and socially (Study 1b) closer to others, presumably because loudness activates interpersonal closeness-related concepts implicitly (Studies 1c and 1d). This loudness-interpersonal closeness effect was observed across diverse samples (Studies 2a, 3a, and S1), for longer listening intervals (Study 2b), and in natural settings (Studies 3a and 3b). Conversely, individuals made to feel socially excluded rated their surroundings as quieter (Study 4). Furthermore, following social exclusion, individuals showed a preference for louder volume (Study 5). Finally, exposure to loud stimuli mitigated detrimental psychological effects of social exclusion (Study 6). Theoretical implications for the social cognition of loudness, social exclusion and compensatory strategies, and practical implications for ameliorating loneliness are discussed.

Left Out But “In Control”? Culture Variations in Perceived Control When Excluded by a Close Other

Research and theorizing suggest two competing—yet untested—hypotheses for how European Americans’ and Asians’ feeling of being “in control” might differ when excluded by a close other (e.g., a good friend). Drawing on different national contexts (i.e., United States, Japan), cultural groups (i.e., Japanese, Asian/Asian Americans, European Americans), and exclusion paradigms (i.e., relived, in vivo), four separate experiments ( N = 2,662) examined feelings of control when excluded by a close- or distant-other. A meta-analysis across these experiments indicated that Asians and Asian Americans felt more in control than European Americans when the excluder was a close other. In contrast, no consistent pattern emerged when the excluder was a distant other. This research has implications for cultural variations in aggressiveness as well as health and well-being following exclusion’s threat to perceived control.

Priming third-party ostracism does not lead to increased affiliation in three Serbian communities

Young children rely on establishing and maintaining social relationships. As a consequence, social exclusion poses a significant threat that should be avoided actively. Previous research reports that children react to ostracism with an increased tendency to affiliate. For example, they draw more affiliative pictures and engage in more faithful (over)imitation following primes depicting social exclusion. However, all prior studies to date tested this effect in children from strongly socially independent societies, emphasizing individual freedom and psychological autonomy. The current study tested whether these effects also occur among children growing up in a society where social interdependence is emphasized more strongly. We assessed affiliative reactions to video primes depicting either third-party ostracism or control stimuli among 128 preschoolers (M_age = 4.73 years) from an urban community (Belgrade), a semi-urban community (Pozarevac), and a rural community (Kostolac) in Serbia. Across communities, children detected ostracism when it was depicted in the priming stimuli. However, children neither drew more affiliative pictures nor engaged in more faithful overimitation following primes depicting ostracism as compared with control stimuli. The two measures for affiliation (i.e., affiliative drawings and increased overimitation) were not linked on an individual level. Although these results suggest that young children from diverse societies are capable of recognizing third-party social exclusion, their response to such information is strongly shaped by cultural values on social interdependence.

Interdependent self-construal predicts reduced sensitivity to norms under pathogen threat: An electrocortical investigation

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Under conditions of threat, norm violations often induce strong neural responses.

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Neural responses to norm violations entail the N400 and upper-alpha suppression.

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Interdependent self-construal is associated with buffering of the effect of threat.

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The two neural responses show similar patterns for threat and interdependent SC.

Prior evidence suggests that external threat motivates people to monitor norm violations. However, the effect of threat may be attenuated for those high in interdependent self-construal (SC) because this SC affords a sense of protection against the threat. Here, we tested this possibility by priming or not priming young American adults with a pathogen threat. We then had participants read norm-violating or normal behaviors while assessing two electrocortical markers: N400 (indexing the detection of norm violations) and suppression of upper α-band power (indexing vigilance to the violations). In the threat priming condition, interdependent SC predicted decreased responsiveness to norm violations. In the control priming condition, however, interdependent SC predicted increased responsiveness. Our work suggests that interdependent SC may provide a sense of security under threat.

Seeking Solitude After Being Ostracized: A Replication and Beyond

Individuals may respond to ostracism by either behaving prosocially or antisocially. A recent paper provides evidence for a third response: solitude seeking, suggesting that ostracized individuals may ironically engage in self-perpetuating behaviors which exacerbate social isolation. To examine this counterintuitive response to ostracism, we conceptually replicated the original paper in three studies (N = 1,118). Ostracism experiences were associated with preference for solitude across four samples (Study 1), and being ostracized increased participants’ desires for solitude (Studies 2 and 3). Extending beyond the original paper, we demonstrated that only the experience of being ostracized, but not ostracizing others or the feeling of conspicuousness, triggered the desire for solitude. Diverging from the original paper, trait extraversion did not moderate the effect of ostracism on solitude desires. Taken together, the current research provides additional and stronger empirical evidence that solitude seeking is a common response to ostracism.

Abusive supervision and newcomers' turnover intention: a perceived workplace ostracism perspective

The relationship between abusive supervision and newcomers' turnover intention was explored from the perspective of perceived workplace ostracism. Findings from three-wave data (n = 300) showed that (1) abusive supervision was positively associated with newcomers' perceived coworker ostracism, perceived supervisor ostracism, and turnover intention; (2) rather than perceived coworker ostracism, perceived supervisor ostracism was positively associated with newcomers' turnover intention; and (3) the relationship between abusive supervision and newcomers' turnover intention was mediated by perceived supervisor ostracism but not by perceived coworker ostracism. Thus, the hypotheses were partially confirmed. Results underscore the importance of perceived supervisor ostracism in accounting for the relationship between abusive supervision and newcomers' turnover intention. Implications and directions for future research are also discussed.

Emerging evidence of cultural differences linked to rice versus wheat agriculture

Roughly four billion people live in cultures with a legacy of rice farm. Recent studies find that rice cultures are more interdependent than herding cultures and wheat-farming cultures. In China, people from rice-farming areas think more holistically and show less implicit individualism than people from wheat-farming areas. These differences are mirrored in micro-level comparisons of neighboring counties differ in rice versus wheat. Research has also found evidence of cultural differences based on rice farming within Japan and around the world. However, we know little about the mechanism of how rice culture is transmitted in the modern world. More research is needed on the mechanisms, as well as other subsistence styles, such as corn farming and cash crops like sugar.

Feeling Hurt: Revisiting the Relationship Between Social and Physical Pain

Pain overlap theory has generated decades of controversy and still receives considerable research attention. A major advance has been the revelation that social and physical pain activate similar neural regions, providing suggestive evidence of a “piggybacked” alarm system that coevolved to detect social exclusion. Recent developments, however, have brought neural evidence for pain overlap into question. We analyze these developments from a social psychological perspective and identify the need for a reformulated approach. To meet this need, we provide a framework that a priori predicts generalized overlap and specific divergence across a range of biopsychosocial domains. The framework points to a functional pattern for similarities and differences, which can be utilized to generate testable hypotheses so that the field can move forward. To demonstrate the utility and promise of the framework, we identify key hypotheses relating to attention, motivation, and responses to pain, and review research relevant to these hypotheses.