The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, highlights that refusing a request often comes with challenges that lead to consent due to shame or guilt. This phenomenon can have detrimental consequences for both individuals and organizations; because forced compliance can breed resentment and prevent open communication.
To address this problem, the researchers proposed a scenario-based intervention in which petitioners explicitly provide people with a predetermined phrase to express their rejection. This approach makes it easier for people to “defend their boundaries” by shifting the burden of refusal from the individual to the requester.
Study results demonstrated the effectiveness of the scenario-based intervention. Participants who received the script were significantly more likely to reject requests to unlock their phones compared to participants who were told they could refuse without consequences.
Source: Ferra
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