In an unprecedented expose on the social scenes, a new research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology has revealed a very interesting trend.
People are generally more likely to think about related negative consequences of turning down social invitations than they should.
The study, which involved several experiments carrying out by a team of researchers across five studies with over 2,000 participants, challenges prevailing opinions on what happens when ‘no’ is said to social plans.
The findings that were released on December 11th provide a significant change in perception for readers.
According to Julian Givi, PhD and Assistant Professor at West Virginia University who also led the study, those who fear declining invitations typically misunderstand how much damage it will cause them in return.
Dr. Givi commented further, “Concerning themselves with decline heightening the inviter’s anger; suggesting that one does not care for the inviter as well as discouraging the inviter from inviting them again…”
Psyche of invitees was studied to reveal an amazing statistic; accepting social invitations despite no genuine interest was admitted to by more than three quarters of respondents which amounted to approximately 77%.
Anxiety about saying “no” is usually associated with this behavior. They assume that disallowing a social invitation can irritate the person who invited them thus leading to relationship harm.
Different experiments were done by the researchers to find out about this phenomenon. The experimenters later realized that those imagining themselves declining invitation would expect it negatively in case they do so.
Also, couples’ experiments showed that partners who tend to turn down plans actually care even more than expected.
According to Dr. Givi’s takeout of insights from their research, turning down a social invitation could be beneficial too.
“Burnout is a real concern especially during holiday times when many social events are competing for our attention,” observed Dr. Givi. Furthermore, he noted “Don’t hesitate to decline occasional invitations.”
However, it should also be noted by the researchers that this finding is mainly restricted to little social plans. Declining milestone events such as weddings or baby showers might indeed have a more significant impact on relationships.
Exposing the anxieties of saying ‘no’ to party invitations, the revelations made in this study highlight how people can reconsider their concerns over negative outcomes of declining socializing activities.
As Dr. Givi says, “However, mental health is important and sometimes it’s best to say, “no” to preserve sanity; we can always make new friends.”
However, nurturing relationships might require one to spend time with others, even when it means declining occasional invitations.
The ramifications of these findings are far and wide which bring some relief that hosts may not view declined social invitations as negatively as often believed.
The results are intended at releasing people from the guilt they feel when they are making decisions on whether to accept or not take part in social plans.
The significance of this research was further underscored by Dr. Givi during an interview with Phys.org.
“Our study provides substantial evidence suggesting that people tend to overestimate the negative ramifications of declining invitations on their relationships,” he said. It also notes that you must reevaluate these perceptions.
Pertinent information regarding turning down social invitations as well as showing why mental health and personal boundaries matter is provided by the researchers’ work.
Thus, there is a need for a more balanced approach towards social commitments whereby individuals should prioritize their welfare while recognizing that relationship building entails interacting with other persons also.
In conclusion, this groundbreaking study challenges long-held beliefs about the consequences of declining social invitations.
It urges for reassessment of social behaviors that strike a balance between turning down occasional invites to take care of oneself and engaging in social activities that build relationships.
Ultimately, it seeks to alleviate the undue anxiety people often feel when making decisions about their social engagements.