Görzig, Anke ORCID: 0000-0002-7623-0836, Smith, Rebecca ORCID: 0000-0002-6459-0084, Monks, Claire ORCID: 0000-0003-2638-181X, Thompson, Jessica and Charafeddine, Dima (2022) Social media ostracism in the context of university and discriminated against group membership. In: Annual Meeting of the Social Psychology section of the British Psychological Society, 5th September 2022, London. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Background:
In line with Williams’ need threat model, previous research has shown that social media ostracism impacted on psychological needs in university students. The present research expands on this paradigm by investigating whether a) students who are particularly vulnerable due to belonging to a discriminated against group are similarly affected by the situational experience of ostracism and b) effects on general psychological needs would transfer to the sense of belonging at university.
Methods:
Eighty-eight UK based University students (18-33 years, 28 belonging to a discriminated against group) were randomly assigned to read a vignette describing either inclusion or exclusion on Facebook in the context of a university peer group. Participants indicated how they would feel using Williams’ need threat scales and completed a measure of sense of belonging at university.
Findings:
A 2(ostracism: inclusion vs exclusion) by 2(discriminated against group: yes vs. no) ANOVA revealed main effects for ostracism and discrimination on psychological needs. Psychological needs were significantly lower in the exclusion and discriminated against group conditions; however, no interaction effects occurred. Further mediation analyses confirmed that ostracism had a significant negative effect on feelings of belonging at university which was mediated via a reduction in psychological needs.
Discussion:
Results indicate that situational experiences of ostracism can affect psychological needs independent of chronic lower psychological needs due to discriminated against group membership. Further, effects of ostracism on psychological needs appear to spill over to contextual sense of belonging at university suggesting implications for academic progression and further interventions.

Item Type:	Conference or Conference Paper (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	ostracism; social exclusion; discrimination; social media
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Applied Psychology Research Group Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Last Modified:	22 Nov 2022 13:31
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/38071

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