Rejection and Aggression: Explaining the Paradox

Abstract How does social rejection influence aggression? The need to belong operates in a similar manner as other motivations. Hungry people work hard to get food. Out of work, people go out of their way to find employment. Social rejected do what they need to regain a sense of belonging. Yet rejected people often engage in behaviors that will result in further rejection, such as aggression. This chapter discusses a decade’s worth of experimental research on the relationship between social rejection and aggression, with an eye toward explaining why aggression occurs and how to prevent it.