
Research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that people tend to overestimate the negative consequences of declining social invitations, leading them to accept plans they would rather skip. The study, conducted by researchers, highlights that individuals often have exaggerated concerns about how declining an invitation may impact the person inviting them and the relationship between them.
According to the data, about 77% of respondents admitted to accepting invitations to activities they had no interest in attending due to concerns about the potential fallout of declining. The fear of upsetting the inviter and damaging the relationship played a significant role in this decision-making process.
The researchers conducted five experiments involving over 2,000 participants to explore these dynamics further. In one experiment, participants were asked to imagine declining an invitation and were found to believe that it would have negative consequences. Another experiment involved couples, with one partner making plans that were declined by the other, revealing that the partners rejecting the plans cared more than expected.
Lead author Julian Givi, PhD, an assistant professor at West Virginia University, emphasized that declining invitations can have benefits, especially to avoid burnout during busy times like the holidays. He suggested not being afraid to turn down invitations occasionally but also noted the importance of spending time with others for relationship development.
However, the researchers cautioned that the findings apply primarily to small plans, and declining milestone occasions such as weddings or baby showers may have more significant repercussions on relationships. Overall, the study encourages individuals to consider their well-being and not feel overly anxious about declining social invitations when necessary.
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