Tesser, A., & Rosen, S. (1972). Similarity of objective fate as a determinant of the reluctance to transmit unpleasant information: The MUM effect.

Hypothesized that an individual’s reluctance to communicate news that is bad for the recipient (the MUM effect) is partially due to guilt associated with not sharing the other’s fate. A 2 * 2 design (similar vs. dissimilar fate and good vs. bad news for the recipient) was employed. 72 female undergraduates were given the opportunity to communicate under the guise of a “learning experiment.” Each specific prediction was substantiated: Good news was communicated more frequently (p < .05) than bad news; Ss in the bad news-dissimilar fate condition experienced the most guilt, and communicated the news less frequently than either bad news-similar fate S (p < .05) or good news-dissimilar fate Ss (p < .01).

 

 

Tesser, A., & Rosen, S. (1972). Similarity of objective fate as a determinant of the reluctance to transmit unpleasant information: The MUM effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 23(1), 46-53.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0032881