Beyond the target: source motivation and observer attributions in ostracism research

Ostracism research has largely focused on the role of the target. However, this perspective does not account for the significant roles played by two other parties in the dynamics of ostracism: the sources who decide to ostracize a target and the observers who may be uninvolved or side with either the target or the sources. Here, we argue that accounting for these two perspectives is important if one wants to arrive at a comprehensive picture of ostracism episodes. We present research on the reasons and motivations of the sources for ostracizing as well as research on factors that influence moral judgments and attributions of observers. Moreover, we suggest an agenda for future research that entails 1) linking the perspectives of targets, sources, and observers, 2) developing novel paradigms to study observers and sources, and 3) designing interventions that encourage sources and observers to detect and be mindful of the use of ostracism.