Daily Negotiation and Its Effects on Short-term Pleasantness and Longer-term Well-being
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The present study examines three widely-held, but previously untested, assumptions about negotiation: (1) negotiation is a daily activity, (2) negotiation is associated with unpleasantness, and yet (3) negotiation is associated with better well-being. Leveraging an app-based experience-sampling methodology, we found that 33.55% of daily interactions involve negotiation, and that these episodes are often associated with a short-term dip in pleasantness. However, frequent negotiators reported higher overall well-being, suggesting an association between negotiation frequency and longer-term well-being. The most common negotiation activities involved “reaching an agreement” and “making a joint decision”, while formal “bargaining” was less common. Negotiation behaviors were more prevalent in professional interactions (54% of interactions with coworkers involve negotiation) than in personal relationships (about 30% of interactions with close social partners like family and friends involve negotiation). Additionally, our data revealed no significant gender or age differences in negotiation frequency, challenging traditional stereotypes.
DOI: 10.34891/nsmm-y845
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7166344892