Aggression and Helping as Responses to Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Rejection in Men and Women

A Meta-Analytic Review of the Validity of the Tangram Help/Hurt Task

The Tangram Help/Hurt Task (THHT) allows participants to help another participant win a prize (by assigning them easy tangrams), to hurt another participant by preventing them from winning the prize (by assigning them difficult tangrams), or to do neither (by assigning them medium tangrams) in offline or online studies. Consistent with calls for continued evidence supporting psychological measurement, we conducted a meta-analytic review of the THHT that included 52 independent studies involving 11,060 participants. THHT scores were associated with helping and hurting outcomes in theoretically predicted ways. Results showed that THHT scores were not only associated with short-term (experimental manipulations, state measures) and long-term (trait measures) helping and hurting outcomes, but also with helping and harming intentions. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the THHT relative to other laboratory measures of prosocial behavior and aggression, discuss unanswered questions about the task, and offer suggestions for the best use of the task.

Reconsidering the role of interpersonal stress in eating pathology: Sensitivity to rejection might be more important than actual experiences of peer stress

Rejection sensitivity (i.e., the tendency to anxiously expect, readily perceive, and overreact to real or perceived rejection) is theorized to play a role in the onset and maintenance of disordered eating. Although rejection sensitivity has repeatedly been associated with eating pathology in clinical and community samples, the pathways through which this psychological trait influences eating pathology have been not fully established. The current study investigated peer-related stress, which can be influenced by rejection sensitivity and is associated with eating pathology, as a mechanism linking these constructs. In two samples of women - 189 first-year undergraduate students and 77 community women with binge eating - we examined whether rejection sensitivity was indirectly associated with binge eating and weight/shape concerns via ostracism and peer victimization, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Our hypotheses were not supported: there were no indirect associations between rejection sensitivity and eating pathology via interpersonal stress in either sample. However, we did find that rejection sensitivity was directly associated with weight/shape concerns in both samples and with binge eating in the clinical sample in cross-sectional (but not longitudinal) analyses. Our findings suggest that the association between rejection sensitivity and disordered eating is not dependent on actual experiences of interpersonal stress. That is, simply anticipating or perceiving rejection may be sufficient to play a role in eating pathology. As such, interventions targeting rejection sensitivity may be helpful in the treatment of eating pathology.

Differences in Aggressive Behavior of Individuals with Different Self-Construal Types after Social Exclusion in the Same Cultural Background

Aggressive behavior is one of the pervasive and costly negative behaviors in everyday life. Previous studies have shown that individuals who are excluded tend to exhibit more aggressive behaviors, but it is unclear whether the type of self-construction of individuals in the same cultural background will affect the differences in aggressive behavior after being excluded. Therefore, the current study examined the differences in aggressive behavior of individuals with different self-construal types in the same cultural background after social exclusion through two experiments. A total of 128 effective participants were recruited for Experiment 1. Individuals' self-construal types were classified by the Self-Construal Scale, the cyberball game was used for the manipulation of social exclusion, and the laboratory assistant application paradigm was used to measure individuals' relational aggression. The results showed that compared with interdependent self-constructors, independent self-constructors exhibited more relational aggression in the exclusion group. A total of 141 effective participants were recruited for Experiment 2. Using the same method as Experiment 1 to classify participants' self-construal types and induce excluded experiences, the hot sauce paradigm was used to measure individuals' physical aggression. The results showed that compared with interdependent self-constructors, independent self-constructors exhibited more physical aggression in the exclusion group. The current study helps to understand whether social exclusion negatively impacts individuals with different self-constructors in the same cultural background and provides enlightenment on how individuals who are self-constructors cope with social exclusion.

Association between Facial Metrics and Mate Rejection for Long-Term Relationship by Heterosexual Men

Investigations on mate choice in humans frequently report preferences, but there is little knowledge about what is important for rejection by a potential mate. The present study aims to verify if facial asymmetry and facial disharmony have an influence on mate rejection by men. We hypothesized that more asymmetric and disharmonious faces would be more rejected. For this purpose, photographs of women’s faces were presented in pairs by self-declared heterosexual men. It was requested they reject one of the faces as a potential mate for a long-term relationship. Women’s faces were also analyzed to measure facial asymmetry and facial disharmony. We used a linear mixed model to evaluate the effect of the cited metrics on each face’s number of rejections. We found that the female metrics influenced mate rejection only if associated with male age and income. The older participants rejected female partners with asymmetric faces. We suggest that aging makes men more demanding in mate choices, at least considering facial asymmetry. We concluded that rejection could be a key variable in mate choice studies, but further research is needed to clarify its effects.

Direct and displaced aggression after exclusion: role of gender differences

The present studies consider the influence of exclusion on aggressive behavior depending on the target of the aggression and the gender of the aggressor. Previous studies have shown that after exclusion, aggressive behavior occurs toward the excluder as well as toward innocent bystanders. However, there is also evidence that men have a greater tendency toward direct aggression and women have a greater tendency toward displaced aggression. In Studies 1 (N = 89) and 2 (N = 120), participants were ostracized, in Studies 3 (N = 88) and 4 (N = 133), participants were rejected. Then, aggressive behavior toward the excluder or bystander was measured. The results confirmed the gender differences hypothesis, but only in the case of ostracism. After ostracism, more retaliatory aggression was observed in men, and more displaced aggression was noted in women. Rejection resulted in generalized aggressive behavior directed toward the excluder and the bystander in men and women. The results are discussed in light of Sexual Selection Theory.

Testing effects of social rejection on aggressive and prosocial behavior: A meta-analysis

Social rejection elicits profound feelings of distress. From an evolutionary perspective, the best way to alleviate this distress is to behave prosocially, minimizing the likelihood of further exclusion. Yet, examples ranging from the playground to the pub suggest rejection commonly elicits aggression. Opposing theoretical perspectives and discordant empirical results have left a basic question unanswered: does rejection more commonly elicit prosocial or aggressive behavior? We conducted three meta-analyses (one with studies measuring aggressive behavior; one with studies measuring prosocial behavior; and one with studies measuring both aggressive and prosocial behavior; N = 3864) to quantify: (1) the extent to which social rejection elicits prosocial or aggressive behavior and (2) potential moderating effects on these relations. Random-effects models revealed medium effects such that social rejection potentiated aggressive behavior (k = 19; d = 0.41, p < .0001) and attenuated prosocial behavior (k = 7; d = 0.59, p < .0001), an effect that remained consistent even when participants were given the option to behave prosocially or aggressively (k =  15; d = 0.71, p < .0001). These results cast doubt on the theory that rejection triggers prosocial behavior, and instead suggest it is a robust elicitor of aggression. Statement of Relevance: To our knowledge, these meta-analyses are the first to directly test whether social rejection elicits aggressive or prosocial behavior. By including a comprehensive collection of both published and unpublished research studies, and examining a wide variety of previously untested moderators, we show that social rejection robustly elicits aggressive behavior and inhibits prosocial behavior. Additionally, we demonstrate that aggressive behavior following social rejection is not simply a function of limited choices in response options. In fact, aggressive behavior was evoked even when the option to engage in prosocial behavior was provided. Furthermore, we conducted a comprehensive narrative review of the neural mechanisms underlying social rejection-elicited aggressive and prosocial behavior to supplement primary analyses. Overall, we believe that our work makes a critical theoretical contribution to the field.

Effects of Rejection by a Friend for Someone Else on Emotions and Behavior

Studies show that rejection increases negative affect and aggression and decreases helping behavior toward the excluder. Less is known about emotions and behavior after rejection by a friend for someone else. In two experimental studies (N = 101 and N = 169), we tested the predictions that rejection would feel worse in a close relationship but would result in less aggression and more reconnecting behavior, especially when the reasons for rejection were unknown. The results of Study 1 showed that, as expected, among acquaintances, more aggression was noted only after comparative rejection, but among strangers, aggression was also observed after rejection with no stated reason. Negative feelings toward a new acquaintance were only marginally stronger than those toward a stranger in Study 1, but Study 2 confirmed that rejection by a best friend, and especially comparative rejection by a friend, felt worse than other conditions. Study 2 also showed that reconnecting behavior was more likely to dominate over aggressive behavior between people in close relationships than between strangers. The results are discussed mostly in light of the multimotive model of rejection.