When Does Rejection Trigger Aggression? A Test of the Multimotive Model.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Social rejection can elicit various behavioral responses, including prosocial, asocial, and antisocial actions.
• The Multimotive Model (MMM) outlines these responses but may not fully capture all outcomes, such as self-harm.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct the first full test of the Multimotive Model (MMM).
• To expand the MMM by incorporating perceived groupness and self-harm behavioral responses.
• To examine responses to aggressive rejection in high school students.

Main Methods:

• Two high school student samples (N=231 and N=374) reporting aggressive rejection were surveyed.
• Structural equation modeling was used to compare the MMM with an expanded, saturated model.
• Construal items assessed perceived groupness and perceived costs of rejection.

Main Results:

• The expanded, saturated model demonstrated a significantly better fit to the data than the original MMM.
• Perceived groupness was the strongest predictor of antisocial responses.
• Higher perceived costs of rejection predicted asocial responses and were consistently associated with self-harm outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The expanded model provides a more comprehensive understanding of behavioral responses to social rejection.
• Findings highlight the significant role of perceived groupness and costs in predicting antisocial behavior and self-harm.
• Results offer insights for interventions aimed at mitigating negative responses to bullying and rejection.