ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors review and systematize research on psychological strategies that have demonstrated some efficacy against social exclusion. They suggest the use of other strategies, which have been tested in other domains of psychological wellbeing and critically discuss their effectiveness against exclusion. Learning to accept negative events and the feelings connected with them might be a promising strategy to cope against social exclusion. In effect, if people learn to accept the negative social interactions that they might encounter, they may not charge those episodes with anxiety. This in turn may lead to an easier recovery from those situations. In effect, social exclusion threatens at least four fundamental needs: self-esteem, belonging, control, and meaningful existence. Research on social exclusion has uncovered different types of social surrogates, like parasocial attachment to TV characters, comfort food, connectedness to nature, and religion.
