Assuring a sense of growth: A cognitive strategy to weaken the effect of cyber-ostracism on aggression

•This study tested whether adopting growth beliefs weakened the effect of cyber-ostracism on aggression.•Ostracized participants who were primed that ostracism was detrimental behaved more aggressively.•Ostracized participants who were primed that ostracism could aid growth did not behave aggressively.

Prior studies have shown that cyber-ostracism increases aggression. The present research provided the first experimental support for the prediction that assuring a sense of growth after cyber-ostracism can weaken the effect of cyber-ostracism on aggression. Specifically, we found that ostracized participants who were primed with the beliefs that ostracism was detrimental behaved more aggressively than their included counterparts. In contrast, ostracized participants who were primed with the beliefs that ostracism could aid their growth and development no longer behaved aggressively. These findings highlight the significance of post-ostracism cognitive processes in influencing various behavioral responses of ostracism and other interpersonal maltreatments in the cyberspace. Implications are discussed.