Ostracism perception as a multiplicative function of trait self-esteem, mindfulness, and facial emotion recognition ability

•Trait self-esteem is negatively related to ostracism perception.•Mindfulness moderates the relation between self-esteem and ostracism perception.•Facial ERA moderates the above interaction relation of self-esteem and mindfulness.

Humans tend to anchor ostracism perception (perception of being ostracized by others) by self-views. However, what factors determine ostracism perception? The current research examines how trait self-esteem, mindfulness, and facial emotion recognition ability (ERA) jointly determine ostracism perception. A study based on a sample of 74 U.S. students showed that (1) trait self-esteem was negatively related to ostracism perception and (2) ostracism perception was a multiplicative function of trait self-esteem and mindfulness, yet only when facial ERA was low. The results suggest that (1) trait self-esteem is a heuristic that guides ostracism perception, and (2) this mechanism is rather complex, in that it is moderated by mindfulness and further by facial ERA. The current findings shed light on research on ostracism, mindfulness, and ERA and provide practical implications for managing ostracism perception.