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Publications
  • November 2021
  • Article
  • Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

People Overestimate the Self-Presentation Costs of Deadline Extension Requests

By: Ashley V. Whillans, Jaewon Yoon and Grant Donnelly
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:12
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Abstract

Across five studies (N = 4,151), we investigate a novel barrier that prevents people from making personally beneficial requests: the overestimation of self-presentation costs. Even when deadlines are easily adjustable, people are less likely to request an extension and submit lower quality work when perceived self-presentation costs are higher—such as when the request is visible to a supervisor (Study 1a). Specifically, people are less likely to request an extension when they are concerned with appearing incompetent (Study 2). Yet, other people do not negatively respond to deadline extension requests (Study 1b). Attesting to the importance of self-presentation concerns in shaping extension request behaviors, formal policies that reduce self-presentation concerns increase requests in both online (Study 3) and in-person (Study 4) settings. These findings highlight a novel psychological barrier that prevents people from requesting resources that could increase their performance and more effectively manage their deadlines.

Keywords

Extension Request; Help Request; Task Deadlines; Self-presentation; Meta-perceptions; Time Management; Behavior; Perception

Citation

Whillans, Ashley V., Jaewon Yoon, and Grant Donnelly. "People Overestimate the Self-Presentation Costs of Deadline Extension Requests." Art. 104253. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (November 2021).
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About The Author

Ashley V. Whillans

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
→More Publications

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    The Emotional Rewards of Prosocial Spending Are Robust and Replicable in Large Samples

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    • 2022
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    Perceived Job Difficulty Influences Unionization Support for Workers in Low-Wage Jobs

    By: Elizabeth R. Johnson and Ashley V. Whillans
More from the Authors
  • The Secret Tax on Women’s Time By: Lauren C. Howe, Lindsay B. Howe and Ashley V. Whillans
  • The Emotional Rewards of Prosocial Spending Are Robust and Replicable in Large Samples By: Lara B. Aknin, Elizabeth W. Dunn and Ashley V. Whillans
  • Perceived Job Difficulty Influences Unionization Support for Workers in Low-Wage Jobs By: Elizabeth R. Johnson and Ashley V. Whillans
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