We’ve all been there: You’re hanging with a group of friends (either in real time or virtual), and one casually mentions doing something with the other — but neither explicitly mentions you. You’re faced with a dilemma. Inviting yourself when you’re not wanted could come off as intrusive at best, rude at worst. And not inviting yourself will leave you left out and feeling rejected.
A new study now should put such anxieties to rest. In such situations, you’re more welcome than you think, according to an article in Personal and Social Psychology Bulletin.
Julian Givi, a West Virginia University professor and an author of the study, first became interested in this issue when he explored the other side of rejection. He conducted a study that explored how hosts feel when a potential guest declines an invitation. The result? A “no” was far less psychologically devastating to the host than ...
