Recent research has demonstrated that antisocial behavior following a general ostracism experience is mediated by increased feelings of entitlement (Poon, Chen, & DeWall, 2013) and anger (Chow, Tiedens, & Govan, 2008). However, this prior research has failed to determine whether ostracism in general leads to antisocial behavior, or only ostracism that is perceived of as unfair or unjust. The purpose of the current study was to manipulate the perceived fairness of the ostracism experience (fair or unfair) and assess participants’ antisocial behavioral intentions (i.e., dishonest intentions). It was hypothesized that an unfair ostracism experience (compared to a fair ostracism or control experience) would lead to more antisocial behavior, specifically dishonest behavioral intentions, which would be mediated by increased feelings of anger and entitlement. In two studies, participants completed an essay task to prime an ostracism experience (fair or unfair) or a negative control experience on a between-participants basis, and then completed measures assessing their sense of entitlement, feelings of anger, and likelihood of behaving dishonestly. Contrary to our hypotheses, unjust ostracism participants did not report greater dishonest behavioral intentions, anger, or sense of entitlement compared to just ostracism and control participants. Interestingly, however, Study 1 found that just ostracism may actually decrease dishonest intentions and Study 2 demonstrated that ostracism, in general, results in an increase in other-directed, but not self-directed, anger. We provide potential theoretical explanations for our unsupported predictions as well as unanticipated significant findings.
","abstract_html":"<p>Recent research has demonstrated that antisocial behavior following a general ostracism experience is mediated by increased feelings of entitlement (Poon, Chen, & DeWall, 2013) and anger (Chow, Tiedens, & Govan, 2008). However, this prior research has failed to determine whether ostracism in general leads to antisocial behavior, or only ostracism that is perceived of as unfair or unjust. The purpose of the current study was to manipulate the perceived fairness of the ostracism experience (fair or unfair) and assess participants’ antisocial behavioral intentions (i.e., dishonest intentions). It was hypothesized that an unfair ostracism experience (compared to a fair ostracism or control experience) would lead to more antisocial behavior, specifically dishonest behavioral intentions, which would be mediated by increased feelings of anger and entitlement. In two studies, participants completed an essay task to prime an ostracism experience (fair or unfair) or a negative control experience on a between-participants basis, and then completed measures assessing their sense of entitlement, feelings of anger, and likelihood of behaving dishonestly. Contrary to our hypotheses, unjust ostracism participants did not report greater dishonest behavioral intentions, anger, or sense of entitlement compared to just ostracism and control participants. Interestingly, however, Study 1 found that <em>just</em> ostracism may actually decrease dishonest intentions and Study 2 demonstrated that ostracism, in general, results in an increase in other-directed, but not self-directed, anger. We provide potential theoretical explanations for our unsupported predictions as well as unanticipated significant findings.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lustgraaf, Christopher Jeffrey Nathanael"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Donald Sacco","Richard Mohn","Michael Bernstein"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:34Z","subjects":["ostracism","antisocial behavior","entitlement","anger","injustice","Social Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/122","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Donald Sacco","Richard Mohn","Michael Bernstein"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lustgraaf, Christopher Jeffrey Nathanael"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-06-14T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["ostracism","antisocial behavior","entitlement","anger","injustice","Social Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/122"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Recent research has demonstrated that antisocial behavior following a general ostracism experience is mediated by increased feelings of entitlement (Poon, Chen, & DeWall, 2013) and anger (Chow, Tiedens, & Govan, 2008). However, this prior research has failed to determine whether ostracism in general leads to antisocial behavior, or only ostracism that is perceived of as unfair or unjust. The purpose of the current study was to manipulate the perceived fairness of the ostracism experience (fair or unfair) and assess participants’ antisocial behavioral intentions (i.e., dishonest intentions). It was hypothesized that an unfair ostracism experience (compared to a fair ostracism or control experience) would lead to more antisocial behavior, specifically dishonest behavioral intentions, which would be mediated by increased feelings of anger and entitlement. In two studies, participants completed an essay task to prime an ostracism experience (fair or unfair) or a negative control experience on a between-participants basis, and then completed measures assessing their sense of entitlement, feelings of anger, and likelihood of behaving dishonestly. Contrary to our hypotheses, unjust ostracism participants did not report greater dishonest behavioral intentions, anger, or sense of entitlement compared to just ostracism and control participants. Interestingly, however, Study 1 found that just ostracism may actually decrease dishonest intentions and Study 2 demonstrated that ostracism, in general, results in an increase in other-directed, but not self-directed, anger. We provide potential theoretical explanations for our unsupported predictions as well as unanticipated significant findings.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Ostracism and Antisocial Behavior: The Role of Perceived Justice, Entitlement, and Anger"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Donald Sacco","Richard Mohn","Michael Bernstein"],"dc:creator":["Lustgraaf, Christopher Jeffrey Nathanael"],"dc:date.available":["2015-06-14T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Recent research has demonstrated that antisocial behavior following a general ostracism experience is mediated by increased feelings of entitlement (Poon, Chen, & DeWall, 2013) and anger (Chow, Tiedens, & Govan, 2008). However, this prior research has failed to determine whether ostracism in general leads to antisocial behavior, or only ostracism that is perceived of as unfair or unjust. The purpose of the current study was to manipulate the perceived fairness of the ostracism experience (fair or unfair) and assess participants’ antisocial behavioral intentions (i.e., dishonest intentions). It was hypothesized that an unfair ostracism experience (compared to a fair ostracism or control experience) would lead to more antisocial behavior, specifically dishonest behavioral intentions, which would be mediated by increased feelings of anger and entitlement. In two studies, participants completed an essay task to prime an ostracism experience (fair or unfair) or a negative control experience on a between-participants basis, and then completed measures assessing their sense of entitlement, feelings of anger, and likelihood of behaving dishonestly. Contrary to our hypotheses, unjust ostracism participants did not report greater dishonest behavioral intentions, anger, or sense of entitlement compared to just ostracism and control participants. Interestingly, however, Study 1 found that just ostracism may actually decrease dishonest intentions and Study 2 demonstrated that ostracism, in general, results in an increase in other-directed, but not self-directed, anger. We provide potential theoretical explanations for our unsupported predictions as well as unanticipated significant findings.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/122"],"dc:subject":["ostracism","antisocial behavior","entitlement","anger","injustice","Social Psychology"],"dc:title":["Ostracism and Antisocial Behavior: The Role of Perceived Justice, Entitlement, and Anger"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:44:34Z"}