Effects of social exclusion on cognitive processes: Anticipated aloneness reduces intelligent thought.
Abstract
Three studies examined the effects of randomly assigned messages of social exclusion. In all 3 studies, significant and large decrements in intelligent thought (including IQ and Graduate Record Examination test performance) were found among people told they were likely to end up alone in life. The decline in cognitive performance was found in complex cognitive tasks such as effortful logic and reasoning; simple information processing remained intact despite the social exclusion. The effects were specific to social exclusion, as participants who received predictions of future nonsocial misfortunes (accidents and injuries) performed well on the cognitive tests. The cognitive impairments appeared to involve reductions in both speed (effort) and accuracy. The effect was not mediated by mood.
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Experimental induction of thwarted belongingness has been shown to cause many harmful cognitive and behavioral effects, including self-regulatory and executive-function impairments, reduced prosocial behavior, aggression, hostile social-cognitive biases, self-defeating behaviors such as risk-taking, and inner numbness.
“This experimental manipulation has been shown to cause numerous deleterious effects on cognition and behavior, including self-regulatory impairments”
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Experimental manipulation of social isolation and imagined future isolation cause cognitive and behavioral changes without altering objective isolation.
“Experimental manipulation of social isolation39 and imagined future isolation40 result in cognitive and behavioral changes even though objective isolation is not altered in these experimental studies.”
From Social isolation (2011) · cites this paper as [40]
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“A large body of research shows that social exclusion elicits negative affect, weak-ens self-regulation, and alters cognitive processes and behavior (Baumeister et al., 2002; Twenge et al., 2007).”
- Authors
- Baumeister, R. F., Twenge, J. M., & Nuss, C. K.
- Affiliations
- Case Western Reserve University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 2002-10
- Volume
- 83
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 817-827
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W4238138326
- Cited by
- 910
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 55 · 2022: 51 · 2021: 47 · 2020: 46 · 2019: 82 · 2018: 46 · 2017: 57 · 2016: 47 · 2015: 54 · 2014: 46 · 2013: 54 · 2012: 40
- FWCI
- 16.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- social exclusion, cognitive processes, intelligence, social isolation
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Affect, Analysis of Variance, Cognition, Educational Measurement, Emotions, Female, Humans, Intelligence, Intelligence Tests, Male, Social Isolation, United States
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