MUM effect: what it is and how it affects relationships

People do not act in the same way alone as when we are in a group. Nor do we do it the same when we are with another person.

That is, the presence (real, imagined or implied) of others influences how we think, feel and behave. Social psychology is responsible for studying and understanding these relationships and influences.

Within it, there are numerous phenomena that appear in the interrelation of people and in the perception we have of them. Today we will talk about one of them: the MUM effect.. We all like to deliver good news, but what about the bad? Does the same thing happen with them? We will see it below.

• Related article: "What is social psychology?"

What is the MUM effect?

When we must communicate bad news, it is common for us to resist or distort them, even making them less negative. This happens even if we have nothing to do with such news.

The reason is that we do not want to be associated with the negative event, and as a consequence, to be considered less attractive.

The MUM effect occurs in the face of a wide variety of news, circumstances, and potential recipients. Even so, although it is a very frequent and validated effect, it is not a universal phenomenon. Let us think, for example, of the newscasts; we have the feeling that they "always" transmit bad news; or for example myths, rumors, etc.

It seems then that the MUM effect is associated with situations in which the news affects one's own well-being or that of the potential recipient.

Why does it appear? its causes

The MUM effect has to do in social psychology with reinforcement theories. The reinforcement theories (Lott and Lott, Byrne) tell us about the attraction towards people who are present or who do something that activates an affect, be it positive or negative.

On the other hand, people, whether consciously or unconsciously, seek to please others, feel accepted, etc. This is a natural and human phenomenon, which occurs to preserve and enhance the self-esteem.

In general, we can talk about several concerns that make it difficult or prevent us from communicating bad news:

• Concern for our own well-being, wanting to avoid a feeling of guilt.
• Concern for the welfare of the recipient (for empathy) when receiving bad news.
• Use situational norms such as “do what must be done” as a guide.
• Fear of being associated with the bad news and consequently, make us less attractive.

These four explanations have been evidenced by scientific experimentation to explain the causes of the MUM effect. In this way, and in relation to the first point, concern for one's own well-being, we are talking about a fear of having a feeling of guilt for communicating something negative to someone.

We can relate this to the "belief in a just world", that is, believing that injustices do not exist and that we all have what we deserve (both good and bad). It would be a cognitive bias of the vision of reality, which many people manifest.

Thus, communicating something that, in addition to being bad, is unfair, would conflict with our beliefs about the world, and could also generate these feelings of guilt or even sadness. And, of course, people tend to avoid feeling upset or sad.

Worries about delivering bad news

Delving a little deeper into these concerns, it is known that we also don't want the receiver to feel sad "because of us", even if it is an irrational thought and we have nothing to do with the news. We are the mere transmitter, but nevertheless, when people are asked why they should or should not communicate good or bad news, they tend to focus their attention on the receiver.

The MUM effect also occurs when we make a common mistake: assuming that the receiver will not want to hear the bad news.

Let us think, for example, of doctors; It has been seen in some surveys that many believe that patients do not want to hear bad news. However, the latter claim to want to listen to them.

It's known that the more good a message is, the more willingness we will have to transmit it. But it does not happen in the same way when the message is negative, since once it is bad; it does not matter if it is to a greater or lesser extent, since the willingness to communicate it will always be low.

Social rules and receptor in the MUM effect

Often there are no clear rules about what to do with bad news, whether to report it or not. It seems that when the news is good, the rules are clearer than when it is bad.

In addition, many times, when telling bad news, consequences are produced in the receiver (sadness, anger, anger...) that we will not always know how to manage. This can be scary, along with worrying about not wanting to appear nosy.. To avoid being sensational, we hide the bad news.

The MUM effect is reduced when the issuers know for sure that the recipient of the news (whether good or bad) wants to know it. Thus, the fear or concern of giving bad news dissipates, and we end up expressing it without distorting it.

Bibliographic references:

• Tesser, A., & Rosen, S. (1975). The reluctance to transmit bad news. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.). Advances in experimental social psychology, Vol. 8, p. 194-232. New York: Academic Press.
• Hogg, M.A. (2010). Social psychology. VAUGHAN-GRAHAM M. PAN AMERICAN. Publisher: PANAMERICANA