Date Thesis Awarded
5-2018
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Science (BS)
Department
Neuroscience
Advisor
Cheryl Dickter
Committee Members
Joshua Burk
Dana Lashley
Abstract
Social exclusion, whereby individuals are made to feel isolated by others, has been frequently demonstrated to be detrimental to human social needs and can negatively impact mental and physical health because human beings are intrinsically social (Goodwin et al., 2010). Past research has shown that human motivational, psychological, and affective responses to ostracism indicate increased levels of social pain, the emotional pain we experience when our social needs are violated (Kawamoto et. al, 2013). The current study aimed to assess the impact of social exclusion on neural activity, feelings of belonging, and self-reported distress, while also determining whether these responses would be moderated by ingroup/outgroup racial status. Results revealed that manipulation of racial ingroup vs. outgroup status was not associated with differences in P3 amplitude during social exclusion, contrary to previous research. However, self-reported levels of distress were greater after exclusion by the ingroup compared to the outgroup and were predicted by feelings of belonging and social anxiety.
Recommended Citation
Anyakoha, Brian, "The Impact of Racial Group Status on Neural Activity, Belongingness, and Distress during Social Exclusion" (2018). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1251.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1251
