Affiliations: School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia | School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
Note: [] Address for correspondence: David Hawes, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. E-mail: david.hawes@sydney.edu.au
Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine associations between ostracism, internalising problems, and threat to primary needs (belonging, control, self-esteem, meaningful existence) in children (N = 165, M age = 9 years). Ostracism was simulated experimentally using the Cyberball paradigm—a computer-based ball-throwing game—and threats to primary needs were indexed using a modified version of the primary needs questionnaire (PNQ-C; Hawes et al., 2012). Overall, children with greater internalising problems reported greater need-threat following Cyberball. Importantly however, in the domain of ‘belonging’, the relationship between internalising problems and need-threat was moderated by inclusionary status. Specifically, children with high levels of internalising problems exhibited greater need-threat than children low in internalising problems when included by peers; yet following ostracism, children with high internalising problems were no longer distinguishable from those with low internalising problems in terms of threat to belonging.
