Professional Documents
Culture Documents
jscp.1990.9.2.221 (Excl Social)
jscp.1990.9.2.221 (Excl Social)
jscp.1990.9.2.221 (Excl Social)
Baumeister and Rice's (this issue) social exclusion theory of anxiety proposes that a
article elaborates the basic propositions of social exclusion theory, then applies the
theory to a broader
analysis of affective reactions to exclusion. Specifically, the article
examines the relationship between perceived social exclusion and social anxiety,
jealousy, loneliness, and depression. Rhe function of self-esteem and its role in
moderating reactions to perceived exclusion are also discussed.
theory of anxiety in its own right and in terms of its ability to integrate
and subsume existing perspectives on anxiety. It is important that their
CENTRAL PROPOSITIONS
221
222 LEARY
RABLE 1
Rhe Inclusionary-Status Continuum
episodes of social anxiety stem from the potential loss of specific desired
outcomes that may result from self-presentational failure, social exclusion
theory suggests that the threat may run deeper, evoking concerns with
one's worthiness for remaining a member of important groups. Anytime
a
person appears before others, he or she runs the risk, however slight,
of being rejected or excluded.
But why are people worried about being rejected by checkout clerks
or
strangers at the beach, individuals with whom they have no intention
of entering relationships? One
possibility is that people often assess their
inclusionary status not in terms of their standing in a real group or
relationship but in terms of their potential for inclusion/exclusion. People
seem to evaluate their
inclusionary status within the context of "what
RESPONSES TO SOCIAL EXCLUSION 225
people spend more time with strangers and acquaintances and less time
with friends and family than the nonlonely (Jones, 1981). Of course,
one's inclusionary status is typically lower in encounters with strangers
and acquaintances than with friends and family, who thus provide a
buffer against loneliness.
Depression. Depression may be precipitated by a large variety of
events, both social and nonsocial, but being excluded is certainly among
226 LEARY
them (as anyone who has been divorced, kicked out of a club, or denied
tenure can attest). Social exclusion generally causes depression, although
persons are more likely to experience social anxiety (Leary, 1983a), jealousy
(Pines & Aronson, 1983; White, 1981), loneliness (Russell et al., 1980),
and depression (Kuiper, Derry, & MacDonald, 1982).
Third, social neglect, rejection, and exclusion, whether by parents
or peers, is implicated both in the development of low dispositional self-
esteem and in loneliness, shyness, and depression (e.g., Maccoby &
Martin, 1983).
From the perspective of social exclusion theory, self-esteem may be
attributions, and the like are, at a more basic level, ways of maintaining
or
improving one's inclusionary status. Rather than originating from a
free-standing motive to maintain self-esteem, such behaviors serve to
decrease the likelihood of exclusion.
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