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Is viewing ostracism on television distressing?
Sarah M Coyne1, David A Nelson, Simon L Robinson
1Brigham Young University, School of Family Life, 2087 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA. smcoyne@byu.edu
The Journal of Social Psychology
|June 17, 2011
Summary
Watching television ostracism is distressing. Participants viewing ostracism experienced reduced belonging, self-esteem, and mood, alongside increased physiological stress responses, indicating vicarious distress.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Media Psychology
Background:
- Ostracism is a distressing social experience linked to aggression.
- The emotional impact of witnessing ostracism in media is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distress induced by viewing ostracism on television.
- To determine if media portrayals of ostracism elicit psychological and physiological distress.
Main Methods:
- Fifty participants were divided into two groups.
- One group viewed a movie clip depicting ostracism; the control group viewed a neutral clip.
- Physiological (heart rate, skin conductivity) and self-report measures were collected.
Main Results:
- Viewing ostracism on television induced significant distress.
- Participants exposed to ostracism clips reported lower belonging, self-esteem, and mood.
- Increased heart rate and skin conductivity were observed in the ostracism group compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Witnessing ostracism via television can be a distressing experience.
- Media portrayals of social exclusion can evoke genuine emotional and physiological responses.
- This suggests a shared emotional response to observed social pain.
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