Ostracism of a highly neurotic target by individuals with different levels of agreeableness: The roles of empathy and personal cost

Abstract

Ostracism is a common and psychologically damaging phenomenon. Based on the general aggression model, this study explored the role of ostracisers' agreeableness on their intention to ostracise highly neurotic targets and the underlying mechanisms in five studies. Studies 1a and 1b examined the relationship between ostracisers' agreeableness and ostracism intention when confronted with highly neurotic targets using questionnaires and experimental methods, respectively. The results showed that individuals with high agreeableness had significantly lower ostracism intentions towards highly neurotic targets than those with low agreeableness. Studies 2a and 2b verified the mediating role of empathy between agreeableness and ostracism. Study 3 verified the moderating role of personal costs between empathy for highly neurotic targets and ostracism. Empathy reduced ostracism intention when the cost of accepting highly neurotic targets was low, but failed to act as an intermediary when the cost was high. Ultimately, this study investigated the causes of ostracism from the perspective of ostracisers, which is conducive to a more comprehensive understanding of the generation of ostracism and reducing the harm caused by ostracism at its source.