Being ostracized: the impact of emotional and cognitive responses on the antisocial behavior toward the sources of ostracism

The present study focuses on the comprehensive role of the affective and cognitive consequences of ostracism and, in turn, on antisocial behavioral response toward the sources of ostracism. One hundred and sixty-eight participants were ostracized or included in Cyberball. Participants subsequently reported their own need satisfaction, mood, global impression of sources, and how they wanted to allocate money towards them. Results revealed that ostracized people (vs included) tend to allocate less money toward the sources as a form of coping strategy with the negative impact of ostracism. This behavior stems from the threat to the satisfaction of one’s needs and the negative mood that drives the formation of a negative impression towards the sources. Consistent with the “Temporal Need-Threat Model”, these findings advance knowledge about the cognitive and affective processes underlying the negative behavior of ostracized people.