Refusing Relief: The Mediating Roles of Perceived Altruism and Trust in the Decision to Accept Help

With small- and large-scale aid on the rise throughout the world, three exploratory studies seek to explain when and why some individuals refuse to accept help from others that they clearly need. Across various situations and contexts, these studies demonstrate that situational factors (whether the need is essential), contexts (at home versus on the internet), and giver strategies (expressing trustworthiness or altruism) affect the likelihood of receivers accepting assistance.