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Research Report

Rejection Via Video

The Impact of Observed Group and Individual Rejection

Published Online:October 04, 2016https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000283

Abstract

Abstract. This study introduces an easy-to-implement, controlled, vivid, and functional rejection paradigm. Participants empathized with the protagonist of a video who was rejected or accepted individually or as part of a group. In the rejection condition, more perceived exclusion and lower basic need fulfillment were reported. The paradigm also induced nuance in situational factors: Observing somebody being rejected as part of a group led to less pronounced reactions than individual rejection. The video-based rejection paradigm taps into the less studied area of group rejection and offers a new method to test established and novel theoretical predictions.

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