Saying no doesn’t have to be so hard: Refusers overestimate the interpersonal consequences of saying no

Across two preregistered experiments, using participants’ own experiences with refusals (Study 1) and hypothetical refusal scenarios (Study 2), we find that refusers overestimate the negative emotions (negative, upset, angry) felt by the requesters and the negative impressions (rude, self-centered, difficult) formed by the requesters (of the refusers) following refusal. These studies offer a novel cognitive explanation – mistaken beliefs about the consequences of declining requests – as to why people struggle to say no to requests.