Group Interactions of Ostracized People
Abstract
The present study examined the relationship between an ostracized individual and the group. The participants included 27 men and 30 women who played a game called Cyberball against computer-generated players who ostracized both the participant and computer-generated Player 3. The participant's passes of the ball to computer-generated Player 3 were then recorded. The results showed that while there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups there was a negative correlation between how ostracized the participant felt and how often they passed the ball to computer-generated Player 3. This may be because they felt decreased control over their lives and showed more anti-social behaviors towards the group instead of pro-social behavior towards the ostracized Player 3.