Threat Model of Belonging

A situation where an individual feels their social connection is challenged or at risk.

The immediate emotional response to a belonging threat, characterized by feelings of sadness, anger, and psychological pain.

The stage where individuals reflect on the reasons for their exclusion and attempt to understand why the belonging threat occurred.

The final stage where individuals adapt to the exclusion and accept their current social standing.

A virtual experiment that simulates ostracism, where participants are intentionally ignored during a ball-tossing game.

Experiencing social pain through observing someone else's rejection, even if it doesn't directly impact you.

The brain region responsible for processing both physical and psychological pain, including the pain associated with social exclusion.

Pain relievers can reduce the emotional distress associated with social exclusion.

Attributing human-like qualities and characteristics to non-human entities, such as pets.

The idea that parasocial relationships (one-sided relationships with media figures) can satisfy a need for social belonging.

The extent to which a person has a clear and defined understanding of themselves.

It positively impacts well-being because it increases anthropomorphism, which in turn enhances the perceived social connection with the pet.

People may shift their self-concept to become more similar to the perceived rival, especially if they believe their partner finds the rival attractive.

Lower self-concept clarity can explain sadness after a breakup because the disruption in the couple's interdependence leads to uncertainty about one's identity.

People who write about breakups tend to express lower self-concept clarity, suggesting that the experience disrupts their sense of self.

Watching favorite TV shows can act as a social surrogate, potentially reducing loneliness by providing a sense of belonging.

People feeling a threat to their social belonging tend to spend more time thinking about their favorite TV shows, suggesting a stronger desire for social connection.

Jealousy can trigger a motivation to align one's self-concept with the desires of their romantic partner, potentially by becoming more similar to the perceived rival.

The idea that experiencing a narrative leads people to psychologically become part of the collective described in the narrative.

A one-sided relationship with a media figure, such as a celebrity, where you feel connected to them despite not knowing them personally.

The idea that a strong PSR with a media figure increases the likelihood of assimilating (becoming more like) their traits, rather than contrasting (becoming different) from them.

Feeling more similar to a media figure, often due to increased understanding of their personality.

Feeling less similar to a media figure, often due to perceived differences in traits.

A feeling of longing for the past, often associated with pleasant social memories.

Nostalgia can increase feelings of social connection and belonging.

Nostalgia helps us find meaning and control in life by reminding us of who we are and where we came from.

Nostalgia evokes positive self-knowledge and helps us feel more authentically ourselves.

Nostalgic marketing techniques can increase purchasing intentions by evoking feelings of comfort and familiarity.

A cultural characteristic where people focus on personal preferences, needs, and rights.

A cultural characteristic where people prioritize group preferences, needs, and rights.

This theory explains how individuals perceive and understand themselves in relation to others, shaping their identity and behavior.

A sense of self defined by uniqueness, autonomy, and personal expression.

A sense of self defined by connection to others and social relationships.

The scope of people an individual is willing to trust.

Individualistic cultures have broader trust radii, trusting more people, while collectivistic cultures have narrower ones, trusting fewer people.

Independent self construal leads to direct, overt communication, while interdependent self construal involves indirect, subtle communication with emphasis on nonverbal cues.

East Asian individuals (interdependent SC) tend to use more emojis, especially in face-threatening scenarios, than Americans (independent SC).

Individuals with interdependent self construal experience less negative impact from social exclusion due to greater accessibility of close others.

Attitudes are personal preferences reflecting an individual's sense of self and should correspond to behavior, regardless of context.

Attitudes are influenced by norms and context, and behavior reflects both personal preferences and the influence of cultural norms.

Western cultures emphasize person-centric model, linking attitudes directly to behavior, while Asian cultures prioritize the normative contextual model, considering both personal preferences and norms.

Individuals with independent self construal use more direct communication, while those with interdependent self construal rely on indirect communication and nonverbal cues.

Cultural dimensions are psychological constructs that help explain differences in behavior and cognition across cultures.

Even when exclusion is intentional or unintentional, it causes emotional distress and pain. This applies to exclusion by strangers, computers, and even groups like the KKK.

This theory explains how people are motivated to maintain social connections and avoid social exclusion because belonging is essential for survival. It suggests that we have an internal gauge (the sociometer) that tracks our social inclusion and influences our self-esteem.

Language that specifically addresses or targets one gender, potentially excluding the other. Examples include using terms like 'guys' to refer to a group of people, or using 'manpower' to describe a workforce.

The feeling of expecting or predicting that you will be excluded from a group or social situation. It can arise from cues like gender-exclusive language or other perceived social threats.

A psychological mechanism that helps us track social cues in the environment to determine our social standing and identify opportunities to restore belonging after being excluded.

An experimental design used to study how social exclusion affects our cognitive processes and social behaviors. Participants are led to believe they will be alone in the future.

People who feel socially excluded are more likely to be quicker to identify smiling faces in a crowd, suggesting a heightened sensitivity to cues for social interaction.

Those who experience social exclusion often become better at distinguishing genuine smiles from fake smiles, a sign of heightened sensitivity to social cues that signal potential affiliation partners.

The idea that our cognitive processes (like thinking and learning) are influenced by our physical experiences and sensations.

Social exclusion can evoke a literal feeling of coldness because social closeness is often associated with warmth. This is an example of embodied cognition.

People who are used to being excluded may engage in behaviors that distance themselves from others and actually reinforce the likelihood of being excluded.

Loneliness can trigger feelings of nostalgia, and these nostalgic memories, often socially themed, can provide temporary comfort and increase perceived social support.

The degree to which we incorporate the traits, characteristics, and values of close others into our own self-concept. This reflects the merging of mental representations of ourselves and those close to us.

In romantic relationships, perceived partner satisfaction (how satisfied we believe our partner is) influences our perception of their closeness to us, and this feeling of closeness in turn influences our own relationship satisfaction.

Different cultures express attitudes in distinct ways, reflecting their values and norms. For example, in individualistic cultures, people may openly express their opinions, while in collectivistic cultures, they might prioritize harmony and avoid direct confrontation.

The way people make decisions can vary across cultures. Individualistic cultures emphasize personal preferences, while collectivistic cultures consider the impact on the group.

How readily an attitude comes to mind. More accessible attitudes are retrieved quickly and influence behavior more strongly.

The concept of attitude strength might not apply equally across cultures. Factors like social norms and collectivism can influence how strongly attitudes are held.

This study investigated if the link between attitude accessibility and quicker decisions holds true across cultures. Researchers examined the relationship in individualistic and collectivistic societies.

Individualistic cultures prioritize individual needs and goals, while collectivistic cultures focus on group harmony and interdependence.

Situations where social norms and expectations influence behavior and decision-making.

Advertising strategies should consider cultural differences. Individualistic cultures respond to messages that focus on personal benefits, while collectivistic cultures connect with ads that emphasize group benefits.

Mental discomfort when holding conflicting beliefs or behaviors. Individuals seek to reduce this discomfort by changing their attitudes or behaviors.

How individuals perceive themselves in relation to others. Independent self-construal emphasizes individuality, while interdependent self-construal emphasizes group affiliation.

Analytic thinking focuses on the properties of objects, while holistic thinking considers the overall context and relationships between objects.

Overestimating the role of personality traits and underestimating the influence of situational factors when explaining someone's behavior.

A way of thinking that embraces and tolerates seemingly contradictory information. This perspective sees things as shades of gray rather than black and white.

Cultures differ in their approach to resolving conflicts. Dialectical thinking influences Chinese culture to consider both sides of a conflict, while non-dialectical cultures may focus on placing blame.

The feeling of discomfort from holding contradictory attitudes.

The actual existence of contradictory attitudes towards one thing.