Introduction
The feeling of belonging has been a phenomenon that has been researched thoroughly in the psychological field. Sense of belonging has been defined as being under the impression that one is involved in their environment. A person feels a connection with those around them and they feel as though they are a valued member of their community (Hagerty et al, 1992). It has been stated that a sense of belonging is a fundamental need for human beings therefore when it is removed, it can lead to negative consequences (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). The removal of an individual’s sense of belonging can occur due to an individual experiencing social exclusion. Social exclusion can also be referred to as ostracism and this is the perceived lack …show more content…
For example Twenge et al in 2001 found that aggressive behaviour was the result of social exclusion. In this experiment, participants experienced social exclusion either by being told that they would end up alone in the later years of their life or that the other participants had rejected them. As a result of these manipulations the participants displayed more aggressive behaviour. Those that were excluded gave someone who insulted them a more negative job evaluation. Moreover when a target had insulted the participants, participants in the excluded conditions blasted the target with higher levels of an aversive noise. However, participants who were excluded did not display more acts of aggression towards someone who praised them. This showed that emotion wasn’t the determining factor on whether aggressive behaviour was displayed but a person experiencing social exclusion was the reason for the presence of aggression (Twenge et al, 2001).
Emerging research into the consequences of social exclusion has also found that social exclusion can encourage social reconnection and trust. Derfler-Rozin et al in 2010 found that participants who were told that they were likely to be excluded were more trusting toward others compared to both control conditions, i.e. people who were actually excluded and those who were not excluded. This result suggests that people who are at risk of being excluded were trying to “fix” their social situation by trusting others, thereby setting up a possibility for
The feeling of belonging has been a phenomenon that has been researched thoroughly in the psychological field. Sense of belonging has been defined as being under the impression that one is involved in their environment. A person feels a connection with those around them and they feel as though they are a valued member of their community (Hagerty et al, 1992). It has been stated that a sense of belonging is a fundamental need for human beings therefore when it is removed, it can lead to negative consequences (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). The removal of an individual’s sense of belonging can occur due to an individual experiencing social exclusion. Social exclusion can also be referred to as ostracism and this is the perceived lack …show more content…
For example Twenge et al in 2001 found that aggressive behaviour was the result of social exclusion. In this experiment, participants experienced social exclusion either by being told that they would end up alone in the later years of their life or that the other participants had rejected them. As a result of these manipulations the participants displayed more aggressive behaviour. Those that were excluded gave someone who insulted them a more negative job evaluation. Moreover when a target had insulted the participants, participants in the excluded conditions blasted the target with higher levels of an aversive noise. However, participants who were excluded did not display more acts of aggression towards someone who praised them. This showed that emotion wasn’t the determining factor on whether aggressive behaviour was displayed but a person experiencing social exclusion was the reason for the presence of aggression (Twenge et al, 2001).
Emerging research into the consequences of social exclusion has also found that social exclusion can encourage social reconnection and trust. Derfler-Rozin et al in 2010 found that participants who were told that they were likely to be excluded were more trusting toward others compared to both control conditions, i.e. people who were actually excluded and those who were not excluded. This result suggests that people who are at risk of being excluded were trying to “fix” their social situation by trusting others, thereby setting up a possibility for