It is More than Thought that Counts: the Role of Readiness for Aggression in the Relationship Between Ostracism and Displaced Aggression

Abstract

Research has shown that ostracism results in aggressive behavior towards the ostracising other, but also causes displaced aggression—aggression directed towards an innocent person. Our study investigated whether displaced aggressive responses to ostracism were increased by three types of aggression proneness (readiness for aggression) based on different mechanisms: emotional-impulsive, habitual-cognitive or personality-immanent. Participants (n = 118) played a Cyberball game in which they were either excluded or included, next prepared a hot sauce sample for another person as an indicator of aggression and completed the Readiness for Interpersonal Aggression Inventory. Results showed that ostracism evoked more aggression in participants with high rather than with low emotional-impulsive readiness for aggression. Only this type of readiness moderated the ostracism-aggression relationship indicating that mostly affective mechanisms induce displaced aggressive responses to exclusion.

Ostracism Increases Automatic Aggression: The Role of Anger and Forgiveness

“…Previous studies on the effect of ostracism on aggression have mainly focused on controlled processes in aggression, using self-report measures to assess aggressive tendencies or behaviors (e.g., Wirth, 2010, unpublished; Stenseng et al, 2014, Study 1; Wakim, 2015, unpublished; Poon et al, 2016, Study 2) and related moderating and mediating variables. For instance, aggressive response to ostracism may depend on factors such as: control deprivation (Warburton et al, 2006), rejection sensitivity (Ayduk et al, 2008), general just-world beliefs (Poon and Chen, 2014), nature exposure (Poon et al, 2016), and emotional-impulsive readiness for aggression (Rajchert et al, 2017). Further, DeWall et al (2009) demonstrated that the link between peer rejection and aggression is mediated by a hostile cognitive bias, and Reijntjes et al (2011) also supported this conclusion based on a study of early adolescence.…”

Effects of Rejection by a Friend for Someone Else on Emotions and Behavior

“…Exclusion may also threaten needs of belonging, control, meaningful existence, and self-esteem (Williams et al, 2000). Exclusion also increases aggression (Warburton et al, 2006; Chow et al, 2008; Wesselmann et al, 2010; Rajchert et al, 2017) and decreases helping behavior toward the excluder but encourages more prosocial behavior toward new potential relationship partners (Maner et al, 2007). Studies have also shown that the context of exclusion, for example, the level and sequence of rejection (Buckley et al, 2004), expectations of meeting the rejecter (Maner et al, 2007), and being rejected by an in-group or out-group or by a same-sex or opposite-sex other (Bernstein et al, 2010; Wittenbaum et al, 2010; Rajchert et al, 2018), affects emotions and behavior.…”

Strength of Excitation Is Negatively Associated with Aggressive Behavior after Interpersonal Rejection

“…There are also studies showing that individual differences influence the magnitude of the aggressive response to rejection ( Twenge and Campbell, 2003 ; Buckley et al, 2004 ; Ayduk et al, 2008 ; Rajchert, 2015 ; Rajchert et al, 2016 ). However, although the role of temperament in response to stress and coping behaviors is well-recognized, we are not aware of any research that has looked at the temperamental features that moderate the rejection–aggression association other than recently published results from the same study which we discuss here ( Rajchert and Winiewski, 2016 ) dealing with how BIS/BAS strength influences the rejection–aggression relationship.…”

“…There is evidence that rejection also leads to aggression in laboratory contexts, where it is variously operationalized as the administration of a higher intensity of noise to the target, the allocation of more hot sauce to the target or a more negative evaluation of an interaction partner which might adversely affect his or her job prospects (e.g., Baumeister et al, 2007 ; DeWall et al, 2010 ). The effect of rejection on aggression may, however, be mitigated by particular individual characteristics, such as narcissism, trait self-control, trait-anger, trait-aggressiveness, readiness for aggression and impulsivity ( Bushman and Baumeister, 1998 ; Twenge and Campbell, 2003 ; Tangney et al, 2004 ; Bettencourt et al, 2006 ; Rajchert et al, 2016 ).…”