If you can't join them, beat them: Effects of social exclusion on aggressive behavior

Social exclusion was manipulated by telling people that they would end up a lone later in life or that other participants had rejected them. These mani pulations caused participants to behave more aggressively. Excluded people issued a more negative job evaluation against someone who insulted them (Ex periments 1 and 2). Excluded people also blasted a target with higher level s of aversive noise both when the target had insulted them (Experiment 4) a nd when the target was a neutral person and no interaction had occurred (Ex periment 5). However, excluded people were not more aggressive toward someo ne who issued praise (Experiment 3). These responses were specific to socia l exclusion (as opposed to other misfortunes) and were not mediated by emot ion.