Righting the Wrong: Reparative Coping after Going Along with Ostracism

Most of the focus within the ostracism literature concerns the negative effects on the ostracized and how they cope following ostracism. Research is now beginning to illuminate negative psychological effects for ostracizers, yet no studies to date have examined their coping responses. This study continues this line of inquiry focusing on experiences of going along with ostracism, both by employing a face-to-face interaction and by exploring prosocial versus antisocial coping reactions in ostracizers. Results reveal that compared to those in a neutral condition, compliant ostracizers suffered because ostracizing someone else frustrated their psychological needs for autonomy and relatedness. Further, when given the chance, ostracizers were more inclusive of the person they previously ostracized. Discussion considers important avenues for future research as well as implications of results.