Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
BMC Public Health. 2024 May 7;24(1):1250. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18365-5.
Being socially excluded has detrimental effects, with prolonged exclusion linked to loneliness and social isolation. Social disconnection interventions that do not require direct support actions (e.g., "how can I help?") offer promise in mitigating the affective and cognitive consequences of social exclusion. We examine how various social disconnection interventions involving friends and unknown peers might mitigate social exclusion by buffering (intervening before) and by promoting recovery (intervening after).
We present an integrative data analysis (IDA) of five studies (N = 664) that systematically exposed participants to exclusion (vs. inclusion) social dynamics. Using a well-validated paradigm, participants had a virtual interaction with two other people. Unbeknownst to participants, the other people's behavior was programmed to either behave inclusively toward the participant or for one to behave exclusively. Critically, our social disconnection interventions experimentally manipulated whether a friend was present (vs. an unknown peer vs. being alone), the nature of interpersonal engagement (having a face-to-face conversation vs. a reminder of an upcoming interaction vs. mere presence), and the timing of the intervention in relation to the social dynamic (before vs. during vs. after). We then assessed participants' in-the-moment affective and cognitive responses, which included mood, feelings of belonging, sense of control, and social comfort.
Experiencing exclusion (vs. inclusion) led to negative affective and cognitive consequences. However, engaging in a face-to-face conversation with a friend before the exclusion lessened its impact (p < .001). Moreover, a face-to-face conversation with a friend after exclusion, and even a reminder of an upcoming interaction with a friend, sped-up recovery (ps < .001). There was less conclusive evidence that a face-to-face conversation with an unknown peer, or that the mere presence of a friend or unknown peer, conferred protective benefits.
The findings provide support for the effectiveness of social disconnection interventions that involve actual (i.e., face-to-face) or symbolic (i.e., reminders) interactions with friends. These interventions target momentary vulnerabilities that arise from social exclusion by addressing negative affect and cognitions before or after they emerge. As such, they offer a promising approach to primary prevention prior to the onset of loneliness and social isolation.
被社会排斥会产生不利影响，长期被排斥与孤独和社会隔离有关。不需要直接支持行为的社会隔离干预措施（例如，“我能帮上什么忙？”）有望减轻社会排斥的情感和认知后果。我们研究了涉及朋友和未知同伴的各种社会隔离干预措施如何通过缓冲（在之前进行干预）和促进恢复（在之后进行干预）来减轻社会排斥。
我们对五项研究（N=664）进行了综合数据分析（IDA），这些研究系统地使参与者暴露于排斥（与包容）的社会动态中。使用经过充分验证的范式，参与者与另外两个人进行了虚拟互动。参与者并不知道，另两个人的行为是按照对参与者包容或排他的方式编程的。至关重要的是，我们的社会隔离干预措施实验性地操纵了是否有朋友在场（与未知同伴或独自一人相比）、人际互动的性质（面对面交谈与即将进行的互动的提醒与单纯的存在）以及干预与社会动态的时间关系（之前、期间或之后）。然后，我们评估了参与者的即时情感和认知反应，包括情绪、归属感、控制感和社交舒适度。
经历排斥（与包容）会导致负面的情感和认知后果。然而，在排斥之前与朋友进行面对面交谈可以减轻其影响（p<0.001）。此外，与朋友进行面对面交谈甚至只是提醒即将与朋友互动，都可以加速恢复（p<0.001）。与未知同伴进行面对面交谈，或者朋友或未知同伴的单纯存在，是否能带来保护益处，证据则不太确凿。
这些发现为涉及与朋友进行实际（即面对面）或象征性（即提醒）互动的社会隔离干预措施的有效性提供了支持。这些干预措施针对的是社交排斥时出现的即时脆弱性，通过在它们出现之前或之后解决负面情绪和认知。因此，它们为孤独和社会隔离发生之前的初级预防提供了一种有前途的方法。
