Past research has indicated that insufficient peer validation in social
media threatens basic psychological needs (Lee et al., 2018). However,
little is known about the link between insufficient validation and
willingness to accept alternative viewpoints. Using the need threat model,
we examined how ostracism in a Social Media Task affects a person’s
perception of politically dissenting information. It was found that when
included, participants reported a higher willingness to accept the
politically dissenting information compared to those who were ostracized.
Moreover, this effect was mediated by the need for self-esteem, suggesting
that included participants were more likely to adopt prosocial attitudes.