“…Understanding observers’ side‐taking is critical, since plenty of research has shown that ostracism is highly painful and threatening for its targets (for an overview, see Blackhart, Nelson, Knowles, & Baumeister, ; Hartgerink, van Beest, Wicherts, & Williams, ; Williams, ). Far less work has focused on the role of observers, who have the potential to make a difference by providing support and acknowledgement for ostracized targets, be it in an educational context, at work, or at home (Rudert & Greifeneder, ; Rudert, Hales, Greifeneder, & Williams, ). Yet, observers will not always side with the target and under certain conditions they may even join in ostracizing the target (Rudert, Reutner, Greifeneder, & Walker, ; Wesselmann, Wirth, Pryor, Reeder, & Williams, ; Wesselmann, Wirth, et al., ).…”