Ostracism and Aggression

AbstractDr.普渡大学的吉卜林威廉姆斯建议研究排斥--被忽视和排斥--和侵略之间的联系。 威廉姆斯和其他人过去的研究证明了排斥的两个矛盾的影响：亲社会反应和反社会反应。虽然人们对排斥的反应是亲社会的，例如改变他们不可接受的行为，但也有被排斥的人做出暴力反应的情况，例如最近的校园枪击事件。本研究拟以实证方式探讨排斥导致攻击性或反社会倾向及反应的条件。 首先，排斥被提出来增加负面情绪和报复性反应倾向作为一个第一级的反身反应，这是温和的亲社会反应倾向时，需要时间来反思的影响和后果。第二，排斥被提出来影响四个基本需求：归属感、自尊、控制和有意义的存在。 当与控制和有意义的存在有关的需求受到特别威胁时，更有可能发生攻击性反应，而当排斥主要威胁与归属感和自尊有关的需求时，预计会发生亲社会行为。 最后，群体的排斥，或基于群体成员资格的排斥，被认为比其他个体对个体的排斥更能增加反社会反应的倾向。 其他关于不连续性的研究表明，群体与群体之间的互动比人与人之间的互动更有可能表现为竞争和不信任。 因此，基于种族、民族或宗教等群体层面特征的排斥可能特别容易引发攻击性反应。这项研究采用了一些创新的技术，包括一个强大而简单的计算机为基础的范例称为“网络球”，参与者被排斥在一个虚拟的抛球游戏。虽然这似乎是一种相当次要和无关紧要的排斥形式，但最近发表在杂志《科学》上的一项研究表明，玩这个游戏仅仅几分钟就能激活大脑的疼痛中心。另一种创新方法是使用虚拟现实技术来研究被排斥、被忽视和对其他人几乎不可见的感觉的影响。 此外，这项工作探讨了有效性的纪律程序的“超时”提交的结果，以前发表的工作进行荟萃分析。 该方案扩大了代表性不足群体的参与，并有可能在促进积极的教育环境和防止可能导致学校暴力和更广泛的恐怖主义的有害副作用方面造福社会。

AbstractDr. Kipling Williams of Purdue University proposes to examine the links between ostracism-being ignored and excluded-and aggression. Past research by Williams and others demonstrates two paradoxical effects of ostracism: pro-social responses and anti-social responses. Although people respond pro-socially to ostracism for example by altering their unacceptable behavior, there are also instances in which ostracized individuals react violently, such as recent instances of school shooters. This research proposes to examine empirically the conditions under which ostracism leads to aggressive or anti-social tendencies and responses. First, ostracism is proposed to increase negative emotions and retaliatory response tendencies as a first-level reflexive response, which is moderated toward pro-social response tendencies when time is taken to reflect upon the implications and consequences. Second ostracism is proposed to impact four fundamental needs: belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence. Aggressive responding is more likely to occur when the needs pertaining to control and meaningful existence are especially threatened, whereas prosocial behavior is expected when ostracism threatens primarily needs related to belonging and self-esteem. Finally, ostracism of groups, or ostracism based upon group membership, is proposed to increase anti-social reaction tendencies more so than ostracism of individuals by other individuals. Other research on discontinuity has shown that group-group interactions are more likely to be characterized by competitiveness and distrust than person-person interactions. Thus, ostracism based upon group level characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, or religion, may be particularly prone to aggressive responses. This research employs a number of innovative techniques, including a powerful yet simple computer based paradigm called "Cyberball" in which participants are ostracized from a virtual ball toss game. While appearing to be a rather minor and inconsequential form of ostracism, a recent study published in the magazine Science showed how only a few minutes of playing this game resulted in activation of brain's pain center. Another innovative method is the use of Virtual Reality technology to study the effects of feeling excluded, ignored, and being virtually invisible to other people. In addition, this work explores the effectiveness of the disciplinary procedure of "time out" by submitting the results of previously published work to a meta-analysis. This program broadens the participation of underrepresented groups and has the potential to benefit society in the areas of promoting positive educational environments and preventing harmful side effects that can result in school violence and, at a broader level, terrorism.