In social competition theory, mood plays a significant role. A negative mood occurs in people who cannot win a social conflict and refuse to accept defeat. Besides the perceived loss, the social relationship, the hierarchy, also changes. We struggle to surrender to the new social relationship.

According to Price's hypothesis, we naturally possess an unconscious mechanism that causes us to withdraw when we lose status. Our behavior demonstrates a form of surrender, and more importantly, we refrain from aggression. This latter aspect facilitates reconciliation with another person. The inner sense of loss is therefore temporary.

In today's society, we are limited in our ability to accommodate changes in the social hierarchy. In the time of our ancestors, loss of status was more natural and socially accepted, making reconciliation easier. The lack of reconciliation is a significant factor in the development of depressive symptoms.