Affect of Inclusion and Ostracism on Dispositional Solitude Seekers

Ostracism is a common harmful experience and it can trigger aggression. Until recently, researchers have mostly focused on the individuals who are seeking for social contacts, but they do not really provide an answer to the question – how ostracism influences aggression of dispositional solitude seekers. The reactions to ostracism of dispositional solitude seekers are particularly worthy of investigating because the results might help to identify people at risk and prevent them and their surroundings from negative influences of aggression. To fulfill the gap, I conducted one study. The experiment examined pro-social and anti-social behavioral intentions in response to social exclusion versus inclusion among individuals who are solitude seekers or not. The first proposition that dispositional solitude seekers show anti-social behavioral intentions in the situation of ostracism, is not supported by the data. The second proposition that dispositional solitude seekers do not show pro-social behavioral intentions in the situation of ostracism also is not supported by the data. This research offers insight how dispositional solitude seekers intended to behave in the situation of ostracism and emphasizes the necessity of reducing the prevalence of ostracism.