Social exclusion reduces happiness by creating expectations of future rejection

Abstract

Social exclusion reduces happiness and well-being partly by creating a generalized expectation of future rejection and lack of belonging. An experiment (N = 709) using a guided imagination task found that social exclusion led to reduced feelings of happiness. The effect was mediated by future expectations, as participants who imagined a vivid exclusion scenario thought they were more likely to experience actual rejection in the coming weeks. A correlational survey focusing on individual differences found a similar pattern. People who felt a strong sense of general belonging thought they were less likely to experience future rejection than people with weak belonging, and they also reported higher levels of current happiness.

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