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Published on: November 15, 2014
Responses to ostracism across adulthood
Louise C Hawkley1, Kipling D Williams, John T Cacioppo
1Department of Psychology and Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. hawkley@uchicago.edu
Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
|May 28, 2010
Summary
Older adults experience less negative effects from social exclusion, or ostracism, due to an age-related positivity bias. This bias helps them maintain emotional well-being despite social rejection.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Ostracism, or social exclusion, is a universal experience across all life stages.
- It threatens the fundamental need to belong, often causing social pain and sadness.
- Older adults may be uniquely susceptible to ostracism due to social network changes and role loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in the psychological impact of ostracism.
- To test the hypothesis that older adults are less affected by ostracism due to a positivity bias.
- To explore potential mechanisms underlying these age differences.
Main Methods:
- Two independent studies were conducted with participants aged 18 to 86.
- Study 1 (N=18-86) examined ostracism's impact on needs satisfaction and negative affectivity.
- Study 2 (N=53-71) investigated ostracism's effect on positive affectivity, comparing younger (<60) and older adults.
Main Results:
- An age-related decrease in the impact of ostracism on needs satisfaction and negative affectivity was observed.
- Ostracism reduced positive affect in younger adults but not in older adults.
- Age differences in ostracism's impact align with the positivity bias hypothesis.
Conclusions:
- Older adults are less psychologically distressed by ostracism compared to younger individuals.
- The positivity bias in older adults buffers the negative emotional consequences of social exclusion.
- Age-related differences in response to ostracism are partly explained by physical pain sensitivity but not by other tested factors.
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