Motives matter: The psychological experience of ostracizing among sources

Individuals ostracize others for myriad reasons, yet the influence of those reasons on the psychological experience of ostracizing is yet unknown. Two studies aimed to determine the emotional and behavioral sequelae of ostracizing for different motives, directly comparing punitive to defensive motives. We focused our examination on a suite of emotions expected to arise as a function of (1) the situations that give rise to ostracizing for punitive and defensive reasons (anger, fear, anxiety, and sadness) and (2) the act of ostracizing itself (i.e., pride and guilt). The research employed a novel paradigm to induce the experience of ostracizing for defensive or punitive motives. Study 1 (N = 372) investigated sources' experienced emotion as a function of motive. Study 2 (N = 743) expanded consideration to behavioral intentions, including intentions to continue ostracizing and to recruit others to join in ostracizing the target. Across both studies and supported by an internal meta-analysis, ostracizing for defensive reasons was associated with higher levels of guilt, fear, and anxiety, and lower levels of anger, compared to ostracizing for punitive reasons. Neither sadness nor positive emotion (pride or happiness) differed significantly according to motive in either study. Moreover, guilt and anger mediated the impact of motive on intentions to continue ostracizing and recruit others to join them in ostracizing. To the extent that punitive sources experienced anger relative to defensive sources, they expressed greater intentions to continue ostracizing the target and to recruit others to join in ostracizing the target. To the extent that defensive sources experienced guilt relative to punitive sources, they reported reduced intentions to continue ostracizing the target. Findings add to a growing literature on ostracism sources, and highlight the mediating role of sources' emotion in guiding future actions.

Psychometric properties and item response theory analysis of the Persian version of the social pain questionnaire

Introduction

Social pain is an emotional reaction which is triggered by social exclusion and has been extensively investigated in the literature. The Social Pain Questionnaire (SPQ) is a self-report instrument which is the only scale for measuring social pain as a dispositional factor. The current study aimed at examining the psychometric properties of the SPQ in an Iranian sample.

Materials and methods

A sample of participants (N = 400) was recruited in a cross-sectional validation study. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) as well as Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted. The Item Response Theory (IRT) model parameters were evaluated and item response category curves were presented. Convergent and divergent validities as well as the reliability (by using Cronbach's alpha coefficient) were also assessed.

Results

The SPQ's unidimensionality was affirmed (RMSEA = 0.078; CFI = 0.915; TLI = 0.99) and its internal consistency was robust (Cronbach's α = 0.94). The correlation between the SPQ and the following measures endorsed its divergent and convergent validity: Self-esteem (r = -0.424), Perceived Social Support (r = -0.161), and Interpersonal Sensitivity (r = 0.636). Finally, Item Response Theory Analysis emphasized the effectiveness of the SPQ items in discerning various levels of social pain. The theta level ranged between -1 and + 1.2 and the IRT-based marginal reliability was 0.92 for the total score.

Discussion

The Persian SPQ stands as a reliable and valid measure for evaluating social pain. This scale has the potential to stimulate further research in the field for both clinical and non-clinical settings.

Conclusion

By employing Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis, we have transcended the theoretical psychometric evaluation of the SPQ scale and demonstrated that SPQ is a unidimensional, valid and reliable measurement tool.

The different role of trait empathy and state social exclusion empathy on subsequent feelings about gambling outcome：Evidence from event-related potentials and time-frequency decompositions

Empathy plays an essential role in determining how we understand and respond to others' emotional experiences. Previous studies have mainly focused on the influencing factors of physical pain and monetary loss empathy, as well as on their effects on subsequent feelings. However, little is known about social pain empathy and its influence on subsequent feelings, and the role of personal trait empathy. In this study, we performed Cyberball Games and gambling tasks to explore the effect of social exclusion empathy on subsequent feelings for gambling outcomes (others' losses and gains) by analyzing the brain activity of excluded and non-excluded players at the gambling outcome feedback stage. It was found that both feedback-related negativity (FRN) and theta-band oscillatory are more negative for loss outcome than gain for the excluded players, while these effects cannot be found for the non-excluded players. Furthermore, we only observed a larger P300 amplitude in the gain outcome than that of loss, regardless of the players' role. More interestingly, we found state social pain empathy is negatively correlated with the d-FRN amplitude under non-excluded conditions, while trait empathy is positively correlated with P300 amplitude regardless of the players' role. These results provide insight into the different roles of state social pain empathy and trait empathy on subsequent gambling outcomes. Furthermore, different from previous studies, the current results show that d-FRN could reflect the state empathy discrepancy rather than the biomarker of state empathy.

Putting a Spotlight on the Ostracizer: Intentional Workplace Ostracism Motives

Workplace ostracism is a prevalent and detrimental type of mistreatment. To curtail this harmful behavior, researchers need to identify who is more likely to intentionally ostracize others at work and the motives that drive them to do so. Past reviews of workplace ostracism focus primarily on the outcomes of ostracism, and the few that address the antecedents often examine a limited set of variables. We examined themes in the ostracism literature and determined that employees intentionally ostracize others due to either punitive or defensive motives. Punitive motives are focused on protecting the interests of the group, whereas defensive motives pertain to defending the interests of the self. We present a model of the ostracizer based on these motives and the associated perceptions of threat and negative emotions that precipitate ostracism. Our model provides an extension of the workplace ostracism literature by presenting a testable theoretical framework, rooted in appraisal theory, to explain why and when employees are likely to ostracize others at work. We also provided suggestions for an expansion of the ostracizer motives literature, with the goal of encouraging research that provides greater understanding of the perspective of the ostracizer.

Leaving the Loners Alone: Dispositional Preference for Solitude Evokes Ostracism

What are the interpersonal consequences of seeking solitude? Leading theories in developmental research have proposed that having a general preference for solitude may incur significant interpersonal costs, but empirical studies are still lacking. In five studies (total N = 1,823), we tested whether target individuals with a higher preference for solitude were at greater risk for ostracism, a common, yet extremely negative, experience. In studies using self-reported experiences (Study 1) and perceptions of others’ experiences (Study 2), individuals with a stronger preference for solitude were more likely to experience ostracism. Moreover, participants were more willing to ostracize targets with a high (vs. low) preference for solitude (Studies 3 and 4). Why do people ostracize solitude-seeking individuals? Participants assumed that interacting with these individuals would be aversive for themselves and the targets (Study 5; preregistered). Together, these studies suggest that seeking time alone has important (and potentially harmful) interpersonal consequences.