Psychology Assignment

Watch the following video:

Your goal is to get rejected at least 5 times

Steps:

Write requests on index cards.

You should be able to ask these questions, either to someone you know or to a stranger, and accept “no” for an answer. Write requests that you are likely to be turned down for so that you can win more quickly.

Here are some examples:

-A good discount on purchases of services or products

-Sell something to them for a rather high price

-Play a sports game in a stranger’s yard

-Take a picture with a person (for no reason)

-Piece of chewing gum

-Ride in their car

-Get a date

-Phone number

Grab a card and try to get rejected. Ask for something that you expect to be turned down for, because if the answer is “yes,” it doesn’t count. If someone says yes, it means you haven’t won yet! Grab another card or find a different person to ask. If someone says no, you won! Nod graciously, accept the answer and walk away in triumph.

Be considerate and polite with your requests. Be conscious of the other person’s boundaries, and make it clear that this is a casual request (with no pressure). Keep all your requests and comments respectful of the other person’s body. Don’t say anything sexual or rude about their appearance. Take no for an answer. If the person says no, say “okay,” shrug your shoulders, and walk away.

Recognize that some people have a very strong sense of stranger danger (particularly more vulnerable groups, such as women and disabled people). If the person seems too uncomfortable, apologize and leave. 

Start small!
Try holding a practice session by explaining the game to a family member, and having them reject a request. Then move on to the request that feels least stressful to you (for example, maybe you want to ask your friend to let you drive today).

Cope with the no!
This may be difficult if you are usually afraid of rejection. Give yourself a little extra pampering and remind yourself that it’s okay. It will get easier with practice. As you improve, you will begin to get used to strange looks, rude comments from grumpy people, and outright dismissal of everything you’re “trying” to achieve.

Recognize what you have to gain!
Rejection therapy can help you become braver and more emotionally resilient because you will become better able to handle a “no.”
Be more aware of how irrational social fears control and restrict our lives

Learn from, and even enjoy each and every new rejection. Do not be attached to outcomes, especially when it involves the free agency of other people. Permit yourself to fail. 

Finally, write a self-reflection that includes:
-A summary of each rejection attempt (including fails)
-A summary of the experience of rejection from the first trial to last trial and how that may change your behavior in the future

Describe how the concept of rejection is socially constructed. Does changing the goal of a request from getting granted to being rejected change how we see rejection overall? Relate your self-reflection to the information provided in your text.