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Social exclusion enhances affiliative signaling
Michael C Philipp1, Michael J Bernstein2, Eric J Vanman3
1Massey University.
The Journal of Social Psychology
|December 28, 2020
Summary
Social exclusion enhances the ability to distinguish genuine enjoyment smiles from posed ones. Excluded individuals show increased mouth smiling (zygomaticus major) in response to enjoyment smiles, aiding social bonding.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Nonverbal Communication
Background:
- Reciprocating smiles is crucial for social bonding, signaling affiliation and eliciting responses.
- Social exclusion may prompt increased mimicry to regulate social connections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if social exclusion influences the selective reciprocation of facial expressions.
- To determine if exclusion leads individuals to better differentiate spontaneous and posed smiles.
Main Methods:
- Participants experienced either social exclusion or a neutral event.
- Facial electromyography (fEMG) measured muscle activity during smile classification.
- Participants categorized spontaneous versus posed smiles.
Main Results:
- Excluded participants demonstrated superior discrimination between spontaneous and posed smiles.
- Excluded individuals exhibited greater zygomaticus major activity towards enjoyment smiles.
- Orbicularis oculi activity correlated with smile type but not exclusion condition.
Conclusions:
- Social exclusion may enhance sensitivity to genuine affiliative cues.
- Facial mimicry, particularly mouth smiling, might be a mechanism for affiliative social regulation following exclusion.
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