Social life and social death: Inclusion, ostracism, and rejection in groups

Abstract

Humans are social animals and they depend upon social relationships to fortify their physical and psychological well-being. Various types of social experiences can threaten these relationships, making individuals feel excluded: separated from others physically or emotionally. Social exclusion experiences can be further broken down into two subcategories: rejection- and ostracism-based experiences. We provide a brief summary of the research on social exclusion, rejection, and ostracism, focusing particularly on theory and research on ostracism, given that is the primary focus of our research programs. We close with some key suggestions on how future research on different types of social exclusion can become increasingly integrated theoretically.