ABSTRACT
After nearly a century of neglect, social psychologists have recently devoted considerable attention to ostracism (Williams, 1997, 2001; Williams & Zadro, 2001), rejection (Leary, 2001; Nezlek et al., 1997), and social exclusion (Baumeister & Tice, 1990). Although each of these phenomena may have distinctive features, all involve the implied exclusion of an individual by another individual or group. Uniformly, the self-reported reactions by targets of exclusion are negative. These often include negative mood, hurt feelings, feelings of isolation, loss of belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence. What appear to be wildly divergent however, are the behavioral reactions to the exclusion.
