Temporal perspective moderates self-reported responses to social exclusion

• Framing (past or present tense) of self-reports shapes responses to exclusion. • Exclusion hurts more when reported in the past tense. • Researchers should use care when assessing temporal effects of exclusion. a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o Self-reported feelings of personal distress (i.e., thwarted needs for belonging, lowered self-esteem) following social exclusion are commonly used as the sole determinant of whether an event was experienced as rejection as well as whether a person has recovered from the experience (e.g., Zadro, Williams, & Richardson, 2004). However, the present research reveals that the temporal framing (past or present tense) of self-report measures shapes responses. In two studies, we manipulated social exclusion and the tense of self-report personal distress measures (i.e., basic needs satisfaction and self-esteem). The results suggest that differences based on tense are the result of biased self-reports (due to social desirability concerns or implicit theories of change over time), rather than representing actual recovery from exclusion. The present research highlights the importance of attending to question tense when assessing reactions to social exclusion. Introduction Although people have many essential physical and psychological needs, the need for social belonging is high in motivational priority marked changes in behavior ranging from increased aggression to increased pursuit of social affiliation (e.g., Williams, 2007a). Researchers have begun to identify some of the contextual factors that moderate how people respond to social rejection (see Smart Richman & Leary, 2009, for a review), but one contextual factor that has not been explored is the temporal perspective taken when reflecting on the experience of social exclusion. Self-reported feelings of social exclusion are the most widely used measures assessing the impact of social rejection and ostracism 2010). In this paper we reveal that the temporal framing, or phrasing, of these self-report measures shapes people's responses. Temporal theory of rejection We propose that whether socially excluded people are asked to consider either their current feelings or their feelings during the exclusion event will influence the level of distress reported, with greater distress reported in the past than in the present. One potential explanation for this phenomenon is articulated in Williams' (2001, 2007a, 2007b) temporal theory of emotional responses to rejection. This theory stipulates that reactions to social exclusion can be separated into an immediate " reflexive " stage and a subsequent " reflective " …