Open Science Tools / Pavlovia
4 minutes
Cyberball: Social Exclusion in a Virtual Ball Toss
In Cyberball a participant plays a ball-tossing game with two other players who are actually controlled by the program. In the exclusion condition the other players stop throwing the ball to the participant after a few passes. Even with anonymous computer players and no reward at stake, excluded participants report lowered mood, belonging and self-esteem, making the task a standard method for studying ostracism.