Similar yet distinct effects of short-term and long-term social exclusion on behavioral inhibition

Understanding the relationship between social exclusion and behavioral inhibition is essential for mitigating its detrimental effects and developing targeted interventions. This study examines the impact of short- and long-term social exclusion on reactive and intentional inhibition through three experiments. Experiment 1 utilized the Cyberball game to induce a short-term experience of exclusion, Experiment 2 employed the Future Life Alone paradigm to evoke imagined long-term exclusion, and Experiment 3 used a questionnaire to identify individuals who had experienced actual long-term exclusion. Reactive and intentional inhibition were assessed using the Free Two-Choice Oddball Task. Three key findings emerged: First, both short- and long-term social exclusion significantly impaired intentional inhibition. Second, diffusion model analyses revealed distinct mechanisms underlying these impairments: short-term social exclusion increased the tendency toward standard responses during free-choice trials, while long-term exclusion led to more conservative response criteria. Third, reactive inhibition was unaffected by short-term or imagined long-term exclusion but was impaired by actual long-term exclusion. Collectively, these findings suggest that although short- and long-term exclusion share some similarities in their effects on behavioral inhibition, they also exhibit notable differences. This study provides novel insights into the influence of social exclusion on behavioral inhibition, with theoretical, methodological, and practical implications.