Stuck in a moment and you cannot get out of it: The lingering effects of ostracism on cognition and satisfaction of basic needs

Ostracism negatively affects fundamental needs and may impair some cognitive functions. The present study examined: (1) the duration of ostracism's negative effects on fundamental needs, and (2) its associated effects on higher-order cognitive abilities. Participants were randomly assigned to be included or ostracized on Cyberball, and completed three assessments of fundamental needs over the course of 45-55 min, as well as measures of working memory, decision making, and task persistence. Results indicated significant decreases in fundamental needs immediately following ostracism and the persistence of these effects past the reflexive stage. Additionally, ostracism impaired working memory, decision making, and task persistence (but not basic attention). These results suggest that the negative effects of ostracism can last longer than a few minutes and affect executive functions, suggesting the need to examine downstream consequences of ostracism.