Relationship dissolution strategies: Comparing the psychological consequences of ghosting, orbiting, and rejection
Pancani, Aureli and Riva study ghosting and orbiting, ways of ending a relationship by suddenly withdrawing from all communication without explanation, where in orbiting the person still follows the other on social networks. Within the framework of social exclusion, they treat the two as forms of ostracism. Participants completed an online survey after being randomly assigned to recall an episode of ghosting, orbiting or ordinary rejection, and the study compares the psychological consequences for the people on the receiving end.
Pancani, Aureli and Riva study ghosting and orbiting, ways of ending a relationship by suddenly withdrawing from all communication without explanation, where in orbiting the person still follows the other on social networks. Within the framework of social exclusion, they treat the two as forms of ostracism. Participants completed an online survey after being randomly assigned to recall an episode of ghosting, orbiting or ordinary rejection, and the study compares the psychological consequences for the people on the receiving end.
Written from the abstract as shown on the OpenAlex record, read 2026-11-04.
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Pancani, L., Aureli, N., & Riva, P. (2022). Relationship dissolution strategies: Comparing the psychological consequences of ghosting, orbiting, and rejection. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 16(2), article 9. doi:10.5817/CP2022-2-9