Is ostracism a strong situation? The influence of personality in reactions to rejection

Previous research has demonstrated that ostracism from a social group generates psychological distress. As it stands, only a few previous studies have found evidence that immediate reactions to ostracism are moderated by individual differences. Using the classic Cyberball paradigm, the present research examined a comprehensive set of personality moderators and used the largest sample size to date of lab studies evaluating the effects of ostracism (N = 270). Results indicated that when personality effects were observed in the control condition, they tended to be attenuated in the exclusion condition. More broadly, however, the findings provide little evidence that negative reactions to ostracism are strongly influenced by individual differences in personality.

► We examined whether personality moderates reactions to social exclusion.
► Personality traits included the Big Five, Dark Triad, self-esteem, and attachment.
► We collected the largest sample size to date of social exclusion lab studies.
► We find little evidence that personality buffers/exacerbates reactions to exclusion.
► Findings indicate that social exclusion may represent a strong situation.