Why Don’t You Answer Me?! Exploring the Effects of (Repeated Exposure to) Ostracism via Messengers on Users’ Fundamental Needs, Well-Being, and Coping Motivation

Abstract

This preregistered diary study shed light on the effects of computer-mediated communication on users’ fundamental needs and well-being. As a specific demanding situation, it focused on the experience of cyber-ostracism, defined as not receiving replies from others on a sent message. Hypotheses were derived from the temporal need-threat model. To test these hypotheses, 214 participants answered 1,378 questionnaires over the course of one week. The results have shown that being cyber-ostracized via messengers (e.g., WhatsApp) was negatively associated with the satisfaction of users’ needs for belonging, self-esteem, meaningful existence, and control. Moreover, mediated via these needs, there was a negative indirect association between cyber-ostracism and well-being. Messenger users’ trait mindfulness served as a buffering mechanism: For mindful users, low satisfaction of the need for meaningful existence was not associated with decreased eudaimonic well-being. Moreover, although messengers were perceived as a source of exclusion, cyber-ostracized users reported an increased desire to use these services on the respective following day, representing an approach coping tendency. All additional files referred to in this paper can be found at https://osf.io/fqbya/.