Christiane Buettner
Postdoctoral Scholar, Psychology
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6296-2756All Publications
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Narcissists' Experience of Ostracism
JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
2025; 129 (1): 181-207
View details for DOI 10.1037/pspp0000547
View details for Web of Science ID 001425512700001
View details for PubMedID 39977701
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Ostracism in Everyday Life: A Framework of Threat and Behavioral Responses in Real Life
JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
2024
Abstract
Ostracism-being ignored and excluded-is part of many individuals' daily lives. Yet, ostracism is often studied in laboratory settings and rarely in natural settings. Here, we report one of the first investigations into ostracism in everyday life by documenting how often and where ostracism occurs; who the sources of ostracism are; and how ostracism affects targets' feelings and behaviors. Two experience sampling studies using event-contingent (N = 323, k = 1,107 ostracism experiences in 14 days) and time-signaling sampling approaches (N = 272, k = 7,943 assessments including 767 ostracism experiences in 7 days) show that ostracism is an aversive experience that takes place in a range of contexts and relationships, as often as two to three times per week on average. Reconciling previously mixed findings regarding ostracism's effects on behavior and extending existing theory, we propose a novel framework of behavioral reactions based on need-threat levels: When psychological needs are severely threatened, individuals react to everyday ostracism with avoidance (i.e., withdrawal) and antisocial inclinations (i.e., they exhibit significantly stronger antisocial intentions, although they do not engage in antisocial behavior more frequently). Conversely, when psychological needs are threatened to a lesser extent, individuals are more likely to adopt approach behaviors (i.e., prosocial behavior, talking to others, or connecting with them on social media). Our findings considerably extend present theorizing in ostracism research as they allow to understand when and how individuals experience everyday ostracism and how behavioral reactions after ostracism form in real life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
View details for DOI 10.1037/pspi0000471
View details for Web of Science ID 001300929500001
View details for PubMedID 39172433
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Ostracism Experiences of Sexual Minorities: Investigating Targets' Experiences and Perceptions by Others
PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN
2024: 1461672241240675
Abstract
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people face frequent discrimination, maltreatment, and violence for transgressing gender roles upheld in heteronormative societies. Ostracism (i.e., being excluded and ignored) is likely another, understudied form of discrimination against sexual minorities. In a multi-method approach using a nationally representative panel (N = 4104) and experience sampling data (N = 467, 14 days, k = 926 ostracism experiences), we find that LGB individuals report more ostracism experiences than straight individuals. In line with the idea that ostracism toward sexual minorities occurs as a function of gender role nonconformity, lesbians and gay men are rated by an independent rater sample as more likely to be ostracized (k = 10,760 ratings) when they are also rated as more lesbian/gay and less gender role conforming. Our findings speak in favor of ostracism as a discriminatory experience of LGB individuals that is driven by transgressions of heteronormativity.
View details for DOI 10.1177/01461672241240675
View details for Web of Science ID 001196075900001
View details for PubMedID 38567940
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Beyond the target: source motivation and observer attributions in ostracism research
JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
2026; 166 (1): 13-25
Abstract
Ostracism research has largely focused on the role of the target. However, this perspective does not account for the significant roles played by two other parties in the dynamics of ostracism: the sources who decide to ostracize a target and the observers who may be uninvolved or side with either the target or the sources. Here, we argue that accounting for these two perspectives is important if one wants to arrive at a comprehensive picture of ostracism episodes. We present research on the reasons and motivations of the sources for ostracizing as well as research on factors that influence moral judgments and attributions of observers. Moreover, we suggest an agenda for future research that entails 1) linking the perspectives of targets, sources, and observers, 2) developing novel paradigms to study observers and sources, and 3) designing interventions that encourage sources and observers to detect and be mindful of the use of ostracism.
View details for DOI 10.1080/00224545.2025.2572646
View details for Web of Science ID 001649332800001
View details for PubMedID 41456337
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Moving ostracism research from the lab into daily life using experience sampling
JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
2026; 166 (1): 47-60
Abstract
Ostracism is a common yet profoundly impactful everyday experience with severe consequences for the affected individuals. Traditional methods like experiments or surveys typically fall short in capturing the immediate effects of ostracism in daily life. Fortunately, advances in experience sampling methods, particularly through smartphone-based apps, allow for a more precise examination of ostracism as it unfolds in daily life. By integrating event-contingent and time-contingent experience sampling methods, researchers can now comprehensively study the frequency and impact of ostracism, variabilities in how individuals respond to ostracism, as well as the risk and protective factors involved in ostracism experiences. The findings hold significant potential for developing effective, personalized interventions against ostracism in various settings. In conclusion, the continued refinement and application of experience sampling methods will be essential for advancing our understanding of ostracism and addressing its harmful effects in everyday life.
View details for DOI 10.1080/00224545.2025.2572651
View details for Web of Science ID 001649338400001
View details for PubMedID 41456335
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Cultural differences in perceiving co-present phone use as phubbing: Evidence from six countries
SOCIAL INFLUENCE
2025; 20 (1)
View details for DOI 10.1080/15534510.2024.2447275
View details for Web of Science ID 001404791500001
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Narcissism and Passive-Aggression: Testing the Moderating Effect of Perceived Ostracism.
The Journal of psychology
2025: 1-23
Abstract
The present study examined the relationship between narcissism and passive aggressive behaviors, which were operationalized as three conceptually distinct sub-components: inducing criticism, ostracizing others, and sabotaging behavior. The study also explored the potential moderating role of perceived ostracism (i.e., feeling ignored or excluded by others). Consistent with our hypothesis, data from an online sample (N=219) showed that narcissism was positively related to passive aggressive behaviors. However, a significant moderating effect of perceived ostracism was observed in relation to inducing criticism, but not in relation to ostracizing others or engaging in sabotage. Specifically, at high levels of perceived ostracism there was a stronger relationship between narcissism and inducing criticism compared to when perceived ostracism was low. As such, perceived ostracism may act to amplify this passive aggressive behavior in narcissists. Implications of the present study are discussed.
View details for DOI 10.1080/00223980.2025.2605347
View details for PubMedID 41424160
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Coping with online versus offline exclusion: Ostracism context affects individuals' coping intentions
COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR REPORTS
2025; 18
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100674
View details for Web of Science ID 001479957500001
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The role of depression and anxiety in experiencing and inflicting ostracism: A cross-national perspective
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
2025; 380: 696-703
Abstract
Being excluded and ignored by others (ostracism) severely impacts mental health. For instance, experiences of ostracism predict depression and are linked to other psychopathological symptoms such as anxiety. This relationship is reciprocal: psychopathological symptoms contribute to ostracism, further worsening these symptoms. Beyond experiencing ostracism, individuals with more psychopathological symptoms (here: stronger depressive and anxiety symptomatology) may also engage in ostracizing behavior, thus inflicting ostracism. For instance, depression and anxiety are associated with withdrawal and impaired social functioning, which may foster ostracizing behavior as a defensive mechanism. Using Bayesian multilevel analyses and data from 11 European countries (N = 5765), we find that stronger depressive and anxiety symptoms are associated with more frequent reports of experiencing and inflicting ostracism. These results advance theory in social and clinical psychology by highlighting the prevalence of ostracism experiences for depressed and anxious individuals. Furthermore, clear practical implications arise for mental health practitioners.
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.190
View details for Web of Science ID 001462400500001
View details for PubMedID 40180045
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"This Message was Deleted": The Psychological Consequences of Being Out of the Loop During Messenger Use
MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY
2025
View details for DOI 10.1080/15213269.2025.2459292
View details for Web of Science ID 001408745000001
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When does waiting for a reply turn into ghosting? Individual, relational, and situational predictors of feeling ignored in online messaging
Computers in Human Behavior
2025; 172
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chb.2025.108774
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The Pursuit of Approval: Social Media Users' Decreased Posting Latency Following Online Exclusion as a Form of Acknowledgment-Seeking Behavior
PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN
2024: 1461672241297824
Abstract
How do individuals behave after the sting of social exclusion on social media? Previous theorizing predicts that, after experiencing exclusion, individuals either engage in activities that reconnect them with others, or, they withdraw from the context. We analyzed data from Twitter (k = 47,399 posts; N = 2,000 users) and Reddit (k = 58,442 posts; N = 2,000 users), using relative (un)popularity of users' own posts (i.e., receiving fewer Likes/upvotes than usual) as an indicator of social exclusion. Both studies found no general increase or decrease in posting latency following exclusion. However, the latency of behaviors aimed at connecting with many others decreased (i.e., posting again quickly), and the latency of behaviors aimed at connecting with specific others increased (i.e., commenting or mentioning others less quickly). Our findings speak in favor of acknowledgment-seeking behavior as a reaction to social exclusion that may be specific to social media contexts.
View details for DOI 10.1177/01461672241297824
View details for Web of Science ID 001361330900001
View details for PubMedID 39578675
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Ostracism Experiences Are Associated With More Frequent Doctor Visits Over Time
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
2025; 32 (1): 1-11
View details for DOI 10.1027/2512-8442/a000161
View details for Web of Science ID 001330746100001
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The power of human touch: Physical contact improves performance in basketball free throws
PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORT AND EXERCISE
2024; 72: 102610
Abstract
How pervasive is the power of human touch? Physical touch by other humans shows social support and alleviates stress - stress that may otherwise interfere with performance in athletic tasks. We argue that physical touch improves performance in highly stressful situations: free throws in basketball. In two studies (Ntotal = 60 NCAAW games, ktotal = 835 free throw tandems), we assessed how often teammates touched the shooting player (e.g., a tap on the shoulder) in between shooting two free throws. We find that the extent of touch (i.e., being touched by 0, 1, 2, 3, or all 4 teammates) after the first free throw predicted success with the second free throw, but only when players missed the first free throw (integrated data analysis: main effect hand taps: b = 0.47, p = .021; main effect first free throw: b = 1.36, p = .019; interaction effect: b = -0.55, p = .024). We argue that this means that teammates' support expressed in physical touch helps particularly when stress levels are already high. Results are robust when controlling for players' skill level, home versus away games, point difference, and remaining playing time. More frequent touch was also tendentially associated with teams' season success (ACC-teams only, main effect of hand taps: b = -0.42, p = .062). Physical touch thus indeed boosts performance under stress, superseding a range of other factors, likely also in other team sports and interpersonal relationships.
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.psychsport.2024.102610
View details for Web of Science ID 001204488400001
View details for PubMedID 38382893
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Unvaccinated and left out: The mismatch of vaccine supply and demand during COVID-19 as a source of interpersonal and societal exclusion
ANALYSES OF SOCIAL ISSUES AND PUBLIC POLICY
2023; 23 (3): 537-551
View details for DOI 10.1111/asap.12360
View details for Web of Science ID 001059889200001
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A Window to What We Missed: Effects of Self- versus Other-Exclusion on Social Media Users' Fundamental Needs, Emotional Responses, and Online Coping Behaviors
MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY
2024; 27 (3): 401-427
View details for DOI 10.1080/15213269.2023.2242769
View details for Web of Science ID 001043564300001
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Young, unemployed, excluded: Unemployed young adults report more ostracism
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
2023; 53 (6): 1078-1097
View details for DOI 10.1002/ejsp.2953
View details for Web of Science ID 000975467900001
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When and Why We Ostracize Others: Motivated Social Exclusion in Group Contexts
JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
2023; 125 (4): 803-826
Abstract
Research on ostracism has mostly focused on ostracized targets' reactions to being excluded and ignored. In contrast, the ostracizing sources' perspective and reasons for why individuals decide to ostracize others are still a largely unexplored frontier for empirical research. We propose two fundamental motives situated in the target's behavior that drive motivated ostracism decisions for the benefit of one's group: A perceived norm violation of the target and perceived expendability of the target for achieving group goals. Two survey studies and five experiments (total N = 2,394, all preregistered) support our predictions: When asked to recall a recent ostracism decision and the motives for it, participants reported both perceived norm violations and/or expendability of the target as motives (Study 1). Switching to the target perspective, the frequency of experienced ostracism was associated with both self-perceived norm violations and expendability (Study 2). In five experiments (Studies 3-7), participants consistently choose to ostracize targets more often when they perceived them to be either norm-violating, or inept in a skill important for the group and thus expendable. Additionally, Studies 5-7 show that strategic considerations about the requirements of the situational context influence ostracism decisions: Participants were more likely to ostracize norm-violating targets in cooperative contexts, and more likely to ostracize inept targets in performance contexts. Results have strong theoretical implications for research on ostracism and group dynamics, as well as for interventions targeting ostracism behavior: Particularly, adjusting the requirements of the situational context might be a viable option to decrease ostracism and promote inclusion in groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
View details for DOI 10.1037/pspi0000423
View details for Web of Science ID 000946144300001
View details for PubMedID 36892895
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It will (never) stop hurting: Do repeated or chronic experiences of exclusion lead to hyper- or hyposensitive psychological responses?
GROUP PROCESSES & INTERGROUP RELATIONS
2024; 27 (2): 256-277
Abstract
Unlike one-time lab manipulations of exclusion, in real life, many people experience exclusion, from others and from groups, over extended periods, raising the question of whether individuals could, over time, develop hypo- or hypersensitive responses to chronic exclusion. In Study 1, we subjected participants to repeated experiences of inclusion or exclusion (three Cyberball games, time lag of three days, N = 194; 659 observations). We find that repeatedly excluded individuals become hypersensitive to inclusion, but not to exclusion. Study 2 (N = 183) tested whether individuals with chronic experiences of real-world exclusion show hypo- or hypersensitive responses to a novel episode of exclusion. In line with Study 1, exclusion hurt to the same extent regardless of baseline levels of chronic exclusion in daily life. However, chronically excluded individuals show more psychological distress in general. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for dealing with chronically excluded individuals and groups.
View details for DOI 10.1177/13684302221140002
View details for Web of Science ID 000922223100001
View details for PubMedID 38344474
View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10857901
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Expecting exclusion: Does bracing for the worst buffer the pain of social exclusion?
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
2023; 53 (4): 746-765
View details for DOI 10.1002/ejsp.2934
View details for Web of Science ID 000903774200001
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Right and Left-Wing Views: A Story of Disagreement on Environmental Issues But Agreement on Solutions
TRANSLATIONAL ISSUES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
2022; 8 (4): 503-517
View details for DOI 10.1037/tps0000342
View details for Web of Science ID 000901846200001
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Your phone ruins our lunch: Attitudes, norms, and valuing the interaction predict phone use and phubbing in dyadic social interactions
MOBILE MEDIA & COMMUNICATION
2022; 10 (3): 387-405
View details for DOI 10.1177/20501579211059914
View details for Web of Science ID 000739443100001
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Why didn't you tag me?!: Social exclusion from Instagram posts hurts, especially those with a high need to belong
COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR
2022; 127
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chb.2021.107062
View details for Web of Science ID 000719927500011
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Depressed and excluded: Do depressive symptoms moderate recovery from ostracism?
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
2021; 294: 730-736
Abstract
Prior studies show that depressed individuals react with more immediate reflexive need threat to ostracism than healthy controls. However, it remains unclear whether the observed difference between depressed individuals and healthy controls is caused by ostracism. To find out, the exclusion condition needs to be compared to a baseline condition: inclusion.We assessed depressive symptoms in N = 426 participants in an experimental study. Participants were included or excluded in Cyberball and indicated both their immediate reflexive need satisfaction level and their reflective need satisfaction level several minutes later to assess recovery.Being excluded decreased reflexive need satisfaction levels for all participants. At the same time, the strength of depressive symptoms negatively predicted reflexive and reflective need satisfaction and was associated with slower recovery. Importantly, no moderation was observed: individuals with more depressive symptoms reported reduced need satisfaction levels regardless of being included or excluded in Cyberball.The present findings were obtained with one paradigm only, albeit the most commonly used one: Cyberball. Depressive symptoms were assessed as self-report; future studies may wish to replicate the effects using structured clinical interviews.Depressive symptoms come with lowered need satisfaction levels, irrespective of whether individuals are socially excluded or included. Clinical practitioners should be aware of the relationship between chronic need threat and depression in order to help their patients overcome it.
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jad.2021.07.075
View details for Web of Science ID 000691678200013
View details for PubMedID 34348168
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Stay out of our office (vs. our pub): Target personality and situational context affect ostracism intentions*
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
2021; 95
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104142
View details for Web of Science ID 000659295400015