It is one of three types of social influences that lead people to conform to the majority, or the group's norms.
The effects of interpersonal influence were well documented through Schachter's 1951,[2] experiments involving three confederates in an all-male discussion group.
In contrast, in an exclusive reaction, communication diminishes, hostility increases, and the minority becomes rejected entirely.
For example, the deviant in this study was rated the lowest by fellow group members on likability and was assigned more menial tasks.
Those with low self-esteem have been found to respond worse to rejection, likely due to self-blame attributions.