On the Reluctance to Communicate Undesirable Messages (The MUM Effect): A Field Study

Abstract

The present study generalized a previously observed reluctance to transmit bad news to a field situation in which the conveying of bad news is a natural, recurring phenomenon. In a sample of 27 applicants for aid to the disabled, the time taken to communicate the agency's decision to the client was longer if the decision was to deny aid than if it was to grant aid ( p < .08).