Subjective well-being buffers the effects of social exclusion and expression of in-group favouritism in real groups

Abstract

Human beings are social animals. People need to connect with one another in order to thrive and survive. Yet people are socially excluded by others on a daily basis. A growing body of research reveals that such outcomes can (a) thwart the basic psychological needs of self-esteem, meaning, control and belonging and (b) promote negative outcomes such as prejudice, hostility and in-group favouritism. In spite of such findings, it is also true that not everyone, who experiences exclusion or ostracism, will become depressed or respond negatively to others via hostility and prejudice. As it stands we know little about the factors that determine reactions to ostracism. The primary aim of this thesis was to redress this issue by assessing the extent to which subjective well-being might serve as buffer in reducing the negative effects of ostracism on psychological needs and in-group favouritism. To this end four experiments were conducted. Study 1, sought to examine the link between well-being and in-group favouritism amongst men and women. The results showed that, (a) low baseline levels of subjective well-being were associated with greater patterns of in-group favouritism and (b) greater patterns of in-group favouritism led to increased levels of well-being. Study 2, sought to examine the link between well-being and in-group favouritism, following threat manipulated through progressive ostracism amongst minimal groups. The findings revealed that participants tended to show in-group favouritism regardless of psychological threat, and that people with high well-being showed more in-group favouritism. Study 3 compared the differences in psychological threat as a function of progressive ostracism as opposed to constant ostracism. The data suggest that the latter was more psychologically threatening. Although there were no differences in perceived exclusion between the two methods of ostracism, participants subjected to constant ostracism reported lower levels of control and meaningful existence. Study 4 used constant ostracism to subsequently test the extent to which subjective well-being, in the context of exposure to pleasant media, buffered the expression of in-group favouritism and threats to psychological needs. The findings indicate that (a) the in-group was evaluated less favourably than the out-group, and the more excluded participants felt, the lower they rated the in-group and (b) exposure to pleasant media content, prior to ostracism feedback served to buffer psychological needs. Ostracised participants with higher (as opposed to lower) well-being, reported higher levels of control and meaningful existence when exposed to pleasant media content.