Social exclusion is a widespread phenomenon that not only negatively impacts the individuals directly excluded but also deeply affects bystanders who witness such exclusion. This study aims to investigate how bystanders' levels of trait empathy and their perception of the reasons for exclusion shape their third-party compensatory behaviors. Specifically, we examined whether bystanders with higher empathy levels are more likely to engage in compensatory actions when they perceive the exclusion as unjust. Using a 2x2 between-subjects experimental design, participants were divided into groups based on trait empathy (high vs. low) and the perceived appropriateness of the exclusion (appropriate vs. inappropriate). An online experiment was conducted to simulate social exclusion scenarios, and participants' responses were analyzed to understand how these factors influenced their behavior. The results demonstrated that bystanders with higher trait empathy were significantly more likely to offer compensation when the exclusion was perceived as inappropriate, highlighting the role of empathy in driving supportive actions. Conversely, bystanders with lower empathy showed less variation in their responses, regardless of the exclusion reason. These findings provide new insights into the interaction between personal traits and contextual factors in shaping bystander behavior during social exclusion. This study also offers practical implications for designing interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of exclusion, promoting empathy, and creating a more inclusive and supportive social environment.
| Published in | Humanities and Social Sciences (Volume 12, Issue 5) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.hss.20241205.18 |
| Page(s) | 172-178 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Vicarious Exclusion, Bystander, Trait Empathy, Exclusion Reasons, Third-party Compensatory Behavior
| [1] | Williams K. D. Ostracism: The kiss of social death. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. 2007, 1(1), 236–247. |
| [2] | Peng Suhao, Tao Dan, Leng Yue, Deng Huihua. Psychological and behavioral characteristics of social exclusion and its neural mechanisms. Advances in Psychological Science. 2019, 27(09), 1656–1666. |
| [3] | Reddy L. F., Irwin M. R., Breen E. C., Reavis E. A., & Green M. F. Social exclusion in schizophrenia: Psychological and cognitive consequences. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2019, 114, 120–125. |
| [4] | Fu Yanan, Liang Fang, Feng Ruodan, Zhang Shuyue. The effect of vicarious ostracism on risk decision-making: The mediating role of emotion. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2024, 32(01), 15–20. |
| [5] | Wesselmann E. D., Wirth J. H., Mroczek D. K., & Williams K. D. Dial a feeling: Detecting moderation of affect decline during ostracism. Personality and Individual Differences. 2012, 53(5), 580–586. |
| [6] | Meng Xianxin, Luo Yi, Han Chenyuan, Wu Guowei, Chang Jiao, Yuan Jiajin,... Fu Xiaolan. Social acceptance moderates the effect of social exclusion on emotional conflict adaptation. Acta Psychologica Sinica. 2024, 56(05), 577–593. |
| [7] | Xu M., Li Z., Qi S., Fan L., Zhou X., & Yang D. Social exclusion modulates dual mechanisms of cognitive control: Evidence from ERPs. Human Brain Mapping. 2020, 41(10), 2669−2685. |
| [8] | Yang Xiaoli, Zou Yan. Can we truly empathize? The impact of vicarious ostracism on individuals and theoretical explanations. Advances in Psychological Science. 2020, 28(09), 1575–1585. |
| [9] | Warburton W. A., Williams K. D., & Cairns D. R. When ostracism leads to aggression: The moderating effects of control deprivation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2006, 42(2), 213–220. |
| [10] | Mao Yina, Pan Ran, Zhang Wei. Constructing a triadic interaction theoretical model of workplace ostracism: A perspective from social balance theory. Advances in Psychological Science. 2020, 28(02), 191–205. |
| [11] | Ding Fengqin, Lu Zhaohui. A meta-analysis of the relationship between empathy and prosocial behavior. Advances in Psychological Science. 2016, 24(8), 1159–1174. |
| [12] | DeWall C. N., Deckman T., Pond Jr R. S., & Bonser I. Belongingness as a core personality trait: How social exclusion influences social functioning and personality expression. Journal of Personality. 2011, 79(6), 1281–1314. |
| [13] | Rudert S. C., Ruf S., & Greifeneder R. Whom to Punish? How observers sanction norm-violating behavior in ostracism situations. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2019, 50(2), 376–391. |
| [14] | Yang Xiaoli, Xin Tongtong, Mao Yucui. A review of research paradigms on social exclusion and their impact on outcomes. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2019, 27(2), 237–241. |
| [15] | Twenge J. M., Baumeister R. F., DeWall C. N., Ciarocco N. J., & Bartels J. M. Social exclusion decreases |
| [16] | Wang Yang, Wang Caikang, Wen Zhonglin, Xiao Wanting. The validity and reliability of the empathy and sympathy scale in a sample of Chinese preschool teachers. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2017, 25(06), 1027–1030+1021. |
| [17] | Yang Wen. The influence of vicarious ostracism on the willingness to engage in prosocial behavior (Master's thesis). South China University of Technology, Guangzhou. 2022. |
| [18] | Decety J., & Jackson P. L. The functional architecture of human empathy. Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews. 2004, 3(2), 71−100. |
| [19] | Leary M. R., Tambor E. S., Terdal S. K., & Downs D. L. Self-esteem as an interpersonal monitor: The sociometer hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1995, 68(3), 518–530. |
| [20] | Zaki J., & Ochsner K. The neuroscience of empathy: Progress pitfalls and promise. Nature Neuroscience. 2012, 15(5), 675–680. |
| [21] | Mwilambwe-Tshilobo L., & Spreng R. N. Social exclusion reliably engages the default network: A meta-analysis of cyberball. Neuroimage. 2021, 227, 117666. |
| [22] | Yang X. L., Xin T. T., & Zhao Q. H. Effects of intergroup vicarious ostracism on individual prejudicial attributions and aggressive intentions. The Spanish Journal of Psychology. 2021, 24, e15. |
| [23] | Zhang Yueyang, Zhang Xue, Xu Wei. The effect of empathy on protective behavior in adolescent bystanders: The mediating role of moral identity and the moderating role of social self-efficacy. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2023, 31(05), 1189–1193. |
| [24] | Chen Peiqi, Zhang Yinling, Hu Xinmu, Wang Jing, Mai Xiaoqin. The influence of social value orientation on third-party altruistic behavior among children aged 10-12: The role of emotion. Acta Psychologica Sinica. 2023, 55(08), 1255–126 |
APA Style
Ci, F., Wang, Y. (2024). The Impact of Exclusion Reasons and Trait Empathy on Third-Party Compensatory Behavior in Vicarious Exclusion. Humanities and Social Sciences, 12(5), 172-178. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20241205.18
ACS Style
Ci, F.; Wang, Y. The Impact of Exclusion Reasons and Trait Empathy on Third-Party Compensatory Behavior in Vicarious Exclusion. Humanit. Soc. Sci. 2024, 12(5), 172-178. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20241205.18
Share This Article
Twitter
Linked In
Facebook
Copy
Download@article{10.11648/j.hss.20241205.18,
author = {Fengjie Ci and Yan Wang},
title = {The Impact of Exclusion Reasons and Trait Empathy on Third-Party Compensatory Behavior in Vicarious Exclusion
},
journal = {Humanities and Social Sciences},
volume = {12},
number = {5},
pages = {172-178},
doi = {10.11648/j.hss.20241205.18},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20241205.18},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.hss.20241205.18},
abstract = {Social exclusion is a widespread phenomenon that not only negatively impacts the individuals directly excluded but also deeply affects bystanders who witness such exclusion. This study aims to investigate how bystanders' levels of trait empathy and their perception of the reasons for exclusion shape their third-party compensatory behaviors. Specifically, we examined whether bystanders with higher empathy levels are more likely to engage in compensatory actions when they perceive the exclusion as unjust. Using a 2x2 between-subjects experimental design, participants were divided into groups based on trait empathy (high vs. low) and the perceived appropriateness of the exclusion (appropriate vs. inappropriate). An online experiment was conducted to simulate social exclusion scenarios, and participants' responses were analyzed to understand how these factors influenced their behavior. The results demonstrated that bystanders with higher trait empathy were significantly more likely to offer compensation when the exclusion was perceived as inappropriate, highlighting the role of empathy in driving supportive actions. Conversely, bystanders with lower empathy showed less variation in their responses, regardless of the exclusion reason. These findings provide new insights into the interaction between personal traits and contextual factors in shaping bystander behavior during social exclusion. This study also offers practical implications for designing interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of exclusion, promoting empathy, and creating a more inclusive and supportive social environment.
},
year = {2024}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - The Impact of Exclusion Reasons and Trait Empathy on Third-Party Compensatory Behavior in Vicarious Exclusion AU - Fengjie Ci AU - Yan Wang Y1 - 2024/10/29 PY - 2024 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20241205.18 DO - 10.11648/j.hss.20241205.18 T2 - Humanities and Social Sciences JF - Humanities and Social Sciences JO - Humanities and Social Sciences SP - 172 EP - 178 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2330-8184 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20241205.18 AB - Social exclusion is a widespread phenomenon that not only negatively impacts the individuals directly excluded but also deeply affects bystanders who witness such exclusion. This study aims to investigate how bystanders' levels of trait empathy and their perception of the reasons for exclusion shape their third-party compensatory behaviors. Specifically, we examined whether bystanders with higher empathy levels are more likely to engage in compensatory actions when they perceive the exclusion as unjust. Using a 2x2 between-subjects experimental design, participants were divided into groups based on trait empathy (high vs. low) and the perceived appropriateness of the exclusion (appropriate vs. inappropriate). An online experiment was conducted to simulate social exclusion scenarios, and participants' responses were analyzed to understand how these factors influenced their behavior. The results demonstrated that bystanders with higher trait empathy were significantly more likely to offer compensation when the exclusion was perceived as inappropriate, highlighting the role of empathy in driving supportive actions. Conversely, bystanders with lower empathy showed less variation in their responses, regardless of the exclusion reason. These findings provide new insights into the interaction between personal traits and contextual factors in shaping bystander behavior during social exclusion. This study also offers practical implications for designing interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of exclusion, promoting empathy, and creating a more inclusive and supportive social environment. VL - 12 IS - 5 ER -
College of Education, Ludong University, Yantai, China
College of Education, Ludong University, Yantai, China
