TITLE:
The Psychological Mechanism of the Influence of Social Exclusion on Risk-Taking Behavior
AUTHORS:
Pinyu Meng
KEYWORDS:
Social Exclusion, Risk-Taking Behavior, Status Self-Esteem, Self-Affirmation
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.8 No.3,
March
13,
2020
ABSTRACT: This study examined the
mediating role of state self-esteem in the effect of social exclusion on risk-taking behavior and the moderating role of self-affirmation in the effect of social exclusion
on risk-taking behavior. In experiment 1, social rejection was manipulated through the Cyberball paradigm, and risk-taking behaviors were measured using Balloon Analogue Risk Task, which confirmed the positive effect of
social rejection on risk-taking behaviors. Experiment 2 measured individuals’ state self-esteem
by questionnaire, and investigated the
mediating effect of state self-esteem between social rejection and risk-taking
behavior. Experiment
3 tested the regulating effect of self-affirmation by manipulating the
subjects’ self-affirmation. The main
conclusions of the study are as follows: 1) social exclusion significantly
affected risk-taking behaviors, and the level of risk-taking behaviors in the
social exclusion group was significantly higher than that in the social
acceptance group; 2) state self-esteem plays a partial mediating role between social exclusion and risky
behaviors; 3) self-affirmation moderates the mediating effect of state
self-esteem and the direct effect of social exclusion on risk-taking
behavior.