The invisible divide: uncovering social exclusion experiences through different levels of distance

Being physically or emotionally kept at a distance from others is a core aspect of social exclusion experiences. This distance toward others is often acknowledged as important, yet, most research on social exclusion does not explicitly discuss distance. By presenting three projects that highlight, in an exemplary fashion, three different ways in which distance may manifest, the present work aims to shed light on how distance can serve as a lens through which previously hidden instances of social exclusion can become visible. The three presented projects combine experimental studies with the analysis of large panel surveys, thereby offering insights into social exclusion experiences in both controlled settings and real- life experiences from representative samples. More specifically, I present data from four experiments (n = 1,052), one survey (n = 331), and two large panel studies (n = 52,255) that highlight different facets of distance in social exclusion experiences. Results show that distance a) is relevant at an interpersonal level for socially excluded individuals with respect to person perception, b) may become apparent on an intergroup level when investigating factors that put individuals at risk of experiencing social exclusion more frequently, and c) may manifest on an ideological level with respect to general world views that are held by individuals whose basic psychological need are continuously frustrated. Combining the application of different paradigms and measures, diversity of samples, as well as state-of-the- art methods (e.g., random intercept cross-lagged panel model) attest to the results’ significance. The insights gained from these studies emphasize that distance, a core aspect of social exclusion experiences, manifests in various ways and offer new perspectives on future research directions.