Bittersweet RejectionBittersweet Rejection

The Effects of Rejection on Levels The Effects of Rejection on Levels of Empathy and Envyof Empathy and Envy

Alicia R. Ivanhoe, Cynthia L. Pickett, Yanine D. HessAlicia R. Ivanhoe, Cynthia L. Pickett, Yanine D. Hess

University of California, Davis (United States of America)University of California, Davis (United States of America)

Definitions of Empathy and EnvyDefinitions of Empathy and Envy

EmpathyEmpathy Being able to understand and identify with another’s Being able to understand and identify with another’s

feelings or current situationfeelings or current situation Compassion for both positive and negative situationsCompassion for both positive and negative situations Cognitive ability to engage in perspective takingCognitive ability to engage in perspective taking

EnvyEnvy When a person desires a superior quality of another When a person desires a superior quality of another

and either aspires to achieve it or wishes the other and either aspires to achieve it or wishes the other lacked it. lacked it.

QuestionQuestion Are rejected people more likely to show empathy or Are rejected people more likely to show empathy or

envy to positive/negative situations?envy to positive/negative situations? Baumeister & DeWall Baumeister & DeWall “Alone but feeling“Alone but feeling No Pain: Effects of No Pain: Effects of

Social Exclusion on Physical Pain Tolerance and Pain Threshold, Affective Social Exclusion on Physical Pain Tolerance and Pain Threshold, Affective Forecasting and Interpersonal Empathy”Forecasting and Interpersonal Empathy”

Found that people become emotionally “numb” Found that people become emotionally “numb” after being faced with rejectionafter being faced with rejection

Only used negative scenariosOnly used negative scenariosPickett, Gardner & Knowles Pickett, Gardner & Knowles ““Getting a Cue: The Need to Getting a Cue: The Need to

Belong and Enhanced Sensitivity to Social Cues.”Belong and Enhanced Sensitivity to Social Cues.”

Social exclusion increases sensitivity to social cuesSocial exclusion increases sensitivity to social cues

HypothesisHypothesis

Accepted IndividualsAccepted Individuals Increased Envy for positive situationIncreased Envy for positive situation

Rejected IndividualsRejected Individuals Increased Empathy for positive situation Increased Empathy for positive situation

(Pickett)(Pickett) Little or no empathy for negative situation Little or no empathy for negative situation

(Baumeister)(Baumeister)

To Sum up the HypothesisTo Sum up the Hypothesis

AcceptedAccepted RejectedRejected

Negative Negative VacationVacation

No EmpathyNo Empathy No empathy No empathy (Baumeister)(Baumeister)

Positive Positive VacationVacation

Increased EnvyIncreased Envy Increased Increased Empathy Empathy (Pickett)(Pickett)

Study DesignStudy Design

Rejected or Accepted via CyberballRejected or Accepted via Cyberball Demographics and Neutral Exchange (only from Demographics and Neutral Exchange (only from

fake participant)fake participant) Inclusion of Others in Self (IOS)Inclusion of Others in Self (IOS) Positive/Negative Winter Vacation ExperiencePositive/Negative Winter Vacation Experience Empathy/Envy questionnaires-participants rated Empathy/Envy questionnaires-participants rated

how they felt on a 7 point scale how they felt on a 7 point scale MoodMood Feelings towards the other participantFeelings towards the other participant Opinion of the other participantOpinion of the other participant

CyberballCyberball

Screen shot of CyberballScreen shot of Cyberball

Rejected ConditionRejected Condition Participants were thrown the ball once from each player on the screen and then Participants were thrown the ball once from each player on the screen and then

excluded for the rest of the game.excluded for the rest of the game.

Accepted ConditionAccepted Condition Participants were included in the ball toss for the entirety of the game.Participants were included in the ball toss for the entirety of the game.

Neutral Neutral Exchange/DemographicsExchange/Demographics

DemographicsDemographics Age, sex, major, hometown, siblingsAge, sex, major, hometown, siblings

Neutral ExchangeNeutral Exchange Favorite food and whyFavorite food and why

IOS: IOS: measures closeness to other individual measures closeness to other individual based on overlap of circlesbased on overlap of circles

Positive/Negative Winter Vacation Positive/Negative Winter Vacation ExperienceExperience

Positive Vacation Condition:Positive Vacation Condition: The participant read about another individual who The participant read about another individual who

experienced an exciting vacation in Europe and a experienced an exciting vacation in Europe and a pleasant New Years with friends at the beach.pleasant New Years with friends at the beach.

Negative Vacation Condition:Negative Vacation Condition: The participant read about another individual who The participant read about another individual who

experienced a disappointing end to their Europe experienced a disappointing end to their Europe vacation when they broke their leg. They were unable vacation when they broke their leg. They were unable to see their friends because they were bed ridden at to see their friends because they were bed ridden at home.home.

Mood Questions-current stateMood Questions-current state

I feel:I feel: FrustratedFrustrated ResentfulResentful UngratefulUngrateful SadSad InferiorInferior HappyHappy GratefulGrateful OptimisticOptimistic CheerfulCheerful WorthyWorthy

Feelings Towards the Other Feelings Towards the Other ParticipantParticipant

I feel sympathy towards the other I feel sympathy towards the other participantparticipant

I feel warmth towards the other participantI feel warmth towards the other participant I feel jealous of the other participantI feel jealous of the other participant I resent the other participantI resent the other participant

Opinion of the Other ParticipantOpinion of the Other Participant

I can imagine what it’s like to be in the I can imagine what it’s like to be in the other participant’s situationother participant’s situation

I really liked learning about the other I really liked learning about the other participantparticipant

I don’t think the other participant deserved I don’t think the other participant deserved their vacationtheir vacation

I want to work hard to make extra money I want to work hard to make extra money so I can have a better vacation next yearso I can have a better vacation next year

Results - Interaction of Exclusion Results - Interaction of Exclusion Condition and Vacation Type on Condition and Vacation Type on

Empathic Feelings Empathic Feelings

Figure 1 Mean difference values representing feelings towards the other participant. There was a significant difference in mean value for the positive and negative vacation viewed by rejected individuals.

Results-Main Effects of RejectionResults-Main Effects of Rejection

Figure 2 Mean difference values representing feelings towards the other participant, empathetic opinion and envious opinion. Main effects of rejection shown on empathy feelings, empathy opinion and envious opinion.

ImplicationsImplications Rejected individuals felt a decrease in empathy Rejected individuals felt a decrease in empathy

and increase in negative feelings toward the and increase in negative feelings toward the individual who experienced the positive vacationindividual who experienced the positive vacation

Rejected individuals felt more empathy for the Rejected individuals felt more empathy for the negative situation than accepted individualsnegative situation than accepted individuals Rejected individual’s levels of empathy can be Rejected individual’s levels of empathy can be

transformed closely after being rejected depending on transformed closely after being rejected depending on the situation they’re exposed to.the situation they’re exposed to.

Suggests an increase in sensitivity to social cues for Suggests an increase in sensitivity to social cues for the negative vacation condition.the negative vacation condition.

LimitationsLimitations

Only used college students from UC DavisOnly used college students from UC Davis Run electronically on a computer (limits Run electronically on a computer (limits

closeness)closeness) Floor effect for envy in womenFloor effect for envy in women

Future DirectionsFuture Directions

Introduce a normalizing effect for envyIntroduce a normalizing effect for envy ““It’s normal to experience feelings of It’s normal to experience feelings of

frustration and envy, please be honest with frustration and envy, please be honest with your answers.”your answers.”

Vary ways of rejecting individualsVary ways of rejecting individuals Control their bonding experience with the Control their bonding experience with the

other individualother individual

ConclusionConclusion

Rejection lowers empathy for positive Rejection lowers empathy for positive situations but increases it for negative situations but increases it for negative situationssituations

Depends on closeness to the other Depends on closeness to the other individualindividual

Situation and relationship to the other Situation and relationship to the other individual determines emotional individual determines emotional numbness, not only rejectionnumbness, not only rejection