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Ghosting: Social rejection without explanation, but not without care
1Department of Management and Organizations, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|May 23, 2024
Summary
Ghosting, a form of social rejection, is often driven by other-oriented motives to avoid hurting feelings. However, ghostees underestimate this care, impacting future relationship opportunities.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Interpersonal Relationships
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Social ties frequently end through rejection, with ghosting (ending contact without explanation) being a prevalent method.
- Ghosting represents a unique form of social rejection, distinct from direct confrontation or other rejection behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize ghosting and differentiate it from other rejection behaviors.
- To investigate the relational and motivational underpinnings of ghosting.
- To examine the accuracy of ghostees' perceptions of ghosters' care and motives.
Main Methods:
- Multiple experiments were conducted, including pilot studies to define ghosting, recalled and real-time ghosting scenarios, and cost-benefit analyses.
- Studies involved assessing ghosters' well-being concerns for ghostees and ghostees' underestimation of these concerns.
- Interpersonal accuracy and the influence of other-oriented motives on ghosting likelihood were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Ghosters demonstrate greater concern for ghostees' well-being than ghostees perceive.
- Ghosting is partly motivated by a desire to avoid causing emotional distress to the ghostee.
- Ghostees' underestimation of ghosters' care leads to missed opportunities for future social support and help exchange.
Conclusions:
- Ghosting, while lacking explanation, is not devoid of care; prosocial motives can drive rejection behaviors.
- Interpersonal misperceptions regarding ghosters' intentions can exacerbate the negative effects of ghosting.
- Improving accuracy in understanding the motives behind ghosting may mitigate its detrimental relational consequences.
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