Social Psychologist · Researcher of Ostracism and Belonging
I study the human need to belong, and how something as small as a glance or a brief silence can threaten it. My main research focus is ostracism (being ignored and excluded), including its less obvious forms.
My best-known work connects ostracism with sexual objectification (being treated as a body that exists for the use and pleasure of others). These two experiences have traditionally been studied separately. In my research, I have shown that they are closely linked: sexually objectified women feel ostracized. This makes sexual objectification a form of partial ostracism, in which others attend to a person's body but ignore the person. This work connects to broader questions about gender and about ostracism in close relationships.
I am a Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the School of Behavioral Sciences and Psychology at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo. My PhD in social psychology is from Purdue University, where I worked with Kipling D. Williams and Janice R. Kelly.
Being looked at, but not seen. Objectifying attention threatens the same needs as ostracism. Alongside this, I examine which threats are specific to objectification.
Ostracism is rarely all or nothing. People are often attended to in some ways and ignored in others. The question I focus on is what partial ostracism shares with complete ostracism, and what each form adds.
Being ignored and being looked at are both shaped by gender. With this in mind, I examine who receives which kind of attention, and how women experience and respond to unwanted attention. Recently, I have extended these questions to men's experiences.
My current studies ask which experiences make people feel ostracized, even without outright exclusion. Other projects test whether the number of ostracizers changes how much ostracism hurts, and how ostracism unfolds on dating apps.
People can receive plenty of attention and still feel ignored. This paper shows that partial ostracism works through three paths: inconsistent attention, selective inclusion, and recognition that overlooks who a person is. It suggests that partial ostracism is common in everyday life, from inconsistent caregiving to workplace tokenism.
Silent treatment, stonewalling, and emotional withdrawal appear throughout research on partner abuse. They are rarely recognized as ostracism, however. We argue that they are a serious form of partner maltreatment. Combined with coercive control that isolates the victim, they can block recovery and trap victims in abusive relationships.
In a field experiment in bars, 226 women watched a man who gazed at their body, looked away, or made eye contact. Alcohol did not stop women from noticing objectification or ostracism. It did make them less likely to see the man as a threat, which may leave them more vulnerable.
Singing with others increases well-being and expands the sense of self, even among people with no prior group ties. Across two experiments and a longitudinal study, these effects worked through collective effervescence, the feeling of being connected to others while something special happens. They lasted for weeks and even months. The research was conducted in collaboration with Koolulam. Watch the video ›
Sexual objectification involves attention, so it seems the opposite of being ignored. Across four studies, women who were objectified felt ostracized. This threatened their needs for belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence.
* Shared first authorship. Full list on Google Scholar.
I am happy to hear from researchers interested in collaboration, and from undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students who would like to get involved in my research. Invitations for lectures and workshops are also welcome.
maayandvir@gmail.com