Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Longitudinal associations between ostracism, anger rumination, and social aggression

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although numerous studies have demonstrated the ostracism-aggression link, the potent mechanisms of the relationship remain largely unexplored. Based on the General Aggression Model (GAM) and the Script Theory framework, we propose that anger rumination (AR) may mediate the relationship between ostracism and social aggression. Moreover, the relationship between ostracism and anger rumination may be mutual. The present study used a longitudinal design to examine the relationships among ostracism, AR, and SA in 940 college students. The questionnaires were completed on two occasions with a 6-months interval. A cross-lagged analysis revealed that social ostracism at time 1 (T1) predicted subsequent AR and SA at time 2 (T2), AR (T1) predicted ostracism and SA 6 months later. Moreover, AR (T2) mediated the association between ostracism (T1) and SA (T2). These findings deepen our understanding of the link between ostracism and SA and expand and support the General Aggressive Model and Script Theory.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

  • Alacreu, A., Cazals, A., Courtet, P., & Olie, E. (2020). Brief assessment of psychological pain to predict suicidal events at one year in depressed patients. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 89, 1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 27–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein, M. J., Neubauer, A. B., Benfield, J. A., Potter, L., & Smyth, J. M. (2021). Within-person effects of inclusion and exclusion on well-being in daily life. Personal Relationships, 28(4), 940–960.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burt, S. A., & Donnellan, M. B. (2009). Development and validation of the subtypes of antisocial behavior questionnaire. Aggressive Behavior, 35(5), 376–398.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Camacho, A., Ortega-Ruiz, R., & Romera, E. M. (2021). Longitudinal associations between cybervictimization, anger rumination, and cyberaggression. Aggressive Behavior, 47(3), 332–342.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Z., DeWall, C., Poon, K. T., & Chen, E. W. (2012). When destiny hurts: implicit theories of relationships moderate aggressive responses to ostracism. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48, 1029–1036.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chester, D., & DeWall, C. (2016). Combating the sting of rejection with the pleasure of revenge: a new look at how emotion shapes aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 112, 413–430.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (1999). Testing factorial invariance across groups: a reconceptualization and proposed new method. Journal of Management, 25(1), 1–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chow, R. M., Tiedens, L. Z., & Govan, C. L. (2008). Excluded emotions: the role of anger in antisocial responses to ostracism. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44(3), 896–903.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coyne, S. M., & Ostrov, J. M. (2018). The development of relational aggression. Oxford university press.

  • Denson, T. F., DeWall, C. N., & Finkel, E. J. (2012). Self-control and aggression. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21(1), 20–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denson, T. F., Moulds, M. L., & Grisham, J. R. (2012). The effects of analytical rumination, reappraisal, and distraction on anger experience. Behavior Therapy, 43(2),355–364.

  • Gilman, R., Carter-Sowell, A., Dewall, C. N., Adams, R. E., & Carboni, I. (2013). Validation of the ostracism experience scale for adolescents. Psychological Assessment, 25(2), 319–330.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gros, D. F., Gros, S., K., & Simms, L. J. (2010). Relations between anxiety symptoms and relational aggression and victimization in emerging adults. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 34(2), 134–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huesmann, L. R. (1988). An information processing model for the development of aggression. Aggressive Behavior, 14(1), 13–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, T., & Chen, Z. (2020). Relative deprivation: a mechanism for the ostracism–aggression link. European Journal of Social Psychology, 50(2), 347–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kokkinos, C. M., Karagianni, K., & Voulgaridou, I. (2017). Relational aggression, big five and hostile attribution bias in adolescents. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 52, 101–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, R., & Xia, L. X. (2020). The mediating mechanisms underlying the longitudinal effect of trait anger on social aggression: testing a temporal path model. Journal of Research in Personality, 88, 104018.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • li, S., Zhang, D., Zhao, F., & Yu, G. (2020). Ostracism and aggression among adolescents: Implicit theories of personality moderated the mediating effect of self-esteem. Child Indicators Research, 13.

  • Little, T. D., Cunningham, W. A., Shahar, G., & Widaman, K. F. J. S. e. m. (2002). To parcel or not to parcel: Exploring the question, weighing the merits.Structural Equation Modeling, 9(2),151–173.

  • Loudin, J. L., Loukas, A., & Robinson, S. (2003). Relational aggression in college students: examining the roles of social anxiety and empathy. Aggressive Behavior, 29(5), 430–439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyubomirsky, S., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1995). Effects of self-focused rumination on negative thinking and interpersonal problem solving. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(1), 176–190.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, L., & Tesser, A. (1996). Some ruminative thoughts. Advances in Social Cognition, 9, 1–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meade, A. W., Johnson, E. C., & Braddy, P. W. (2008). J. J. o. a. p. Power and sensitivity of alternative fit indices in tests of measurement invariance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(3), 568.

  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2000). The role of rumination in depressive disorders and mixed anxiety/depressive symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109(3), 504–511.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ostrov, J. M. (2010). Prospective Associations between peer victimization and aggression. Child Development, 81(6), 1670–1677.

    Article  MathSciNet  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pancani, L., Waldeck, D., Tyndall, I., & Riva, P. (2023). An ecological momentary assessment study to investigate individuals’ reactions to perceived social exclusion. Personality and Individual Differences, 200, 111913.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajchert, J., & Winiewski, M. (2016). The behavioral approach and inhibition systems’ role in shaping the displaced and direct aggressive reaction to ostracism and rejection. Personality and Individual Differences, 88, 272–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ren, D., Wesselmann, E., Williams, K. D. J. S. P., & Science, P. (2016). Evidence for another response to ostracism: solitude seeking. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 7(3), 204–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudert, S. C., Janke, S., & Greifeneder, R. (2021). Ostracism breeds depression: longitudinal associations between ostracism and depression over a three-year-period. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 4, 100118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, S., Stephens, H., Repper, K., & Kistner, J. (2016). The relationship between anger rumination and aggression in typically developing children and high-risk adolescents. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 38(4), 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stenseng, F., Belsky, J., Skalicka, V., & Wichstrøm, L. J. P. (2014). & bulletin, s. p. Preschool social exclusion, aggression, and cooperation: A longitudinal evaluation of the need-to-belong and the social-reconnection hypotheses. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 40(12), 1637–1647.

  • Sukhodolsky, D. G., Golub, A., & Cromwell, E. N. (2001). Development and validation of the anger rumination scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 31(5), 689–700.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takebe, M., Takahashi, F., & Sato, H. (2016). Anger rumination as a risk factor for trait anger and anger-in: a longitudinal study. Personality and Individual Differences, 101, 451–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, R. (2019). College student peer aggression: a review with applications for colleges and universities. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 48, 218–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, C., Chen, G., Liu, Y. N., Liu, G. F., & Yin, H. M. (2021). The influence of social ostracism on online deviant behaviors: the mediating role of self-control and the moderating role of moral identity. Psychological Development and Education, 36(2), 208–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., Cao, S., Zhang, Q., & Xia, L. X. (2020). The longitudinal relationship between angry rumination and reactive–proactive aggression and the moderation effect of consideration of future consequences-immediate. Aggressive Behavior, 46(6), 476–488.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Werner, N. E., & Crick, N. R. (1999). Relational aggression and social-psychological adjustment in a college sample. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 108(4), 615–623.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • White, B. A., & Turner, K. A. (2014). Anger rumination and effortful control: mediation effects on reactive but not proactive aggression. Personality and Individual Differences, 56, 186–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, K. D. (2009). J. A. i. e. s. p. Ostracism: A temporal need-threat model. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 41, 275–314.

  • Wupperman, P., Cohen, M. G., Haller, D. L., Flom, P., Litt, L. C., & Rounsaville, B. J. (2015). Mindfulness and modification therapy for behavioral dysregulation: a comparison trial focused on substance use and aggression. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 71(10), 964–978.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, D., Li, S., Shao, L., Hales, A. H., Williams, K. D., & Teng, F. (2019). Ostracism increases automatic aggression: the role of anger and forgiveness. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2659.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, W., Chen, Y., & Xia, L. X. (2020). Childhood maltreatment and aggression: the mediating roles of hostile attribution bias and anger rumination. Personality and Individual Differences, 162, 110007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zielinski, M. J., Borders, A., & Giancola, P. R. (2015). Does hostile rumination mediate the associations between reported child abuse, parenting characteristics and borderline features in adulthood? Personality and Mental Health, 9(4), 288–297.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, C., He, Y., Carter-Sowell, A., & Payne, S. (2020). It’s the reoccurring thoughts that matter: rumination over workplace ostracism. Occupational Health Science, 4, 519–540.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, 300387, Tianjin, China

    Wenfeng Zhu, Dongxue Lu, Chenxing Li, Xue Tian & Xuejun Bai

  2. Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, No. 393, Binshui West Road, Xiqing District, 300387, Tianjin, China

    Wenfeng Zhu, Dongxue Lu, Chenxing Li, Xue Tian & Xuejun Bai

  3. Tianjin Social Science Laboratory of Students’ Mental Development and Learning, 300387, Tianjin, China

    Wenfeng Zhu, Dongxue Lu, Chenxing Li, Xue Tian & Xuejun Bai

Authors
  1. Wenfeng Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dongxue Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chenxing Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xue Tian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xuejun Bai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xuejun Bai.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary Material 1

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhu, W., Lu, D., Li, C. et al. Longitudinal associations between ostracism, anger rumination, and social aggression. Curr Psychol 43, 3158–3165 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04279-9

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04279-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation