Psych 393 Assignment

Sulking or the silent treatment--which passive aggressive behavior aggravates you more when you are on the receiving end? Which one do you use more to express hidden hostility? 

The passive aggressive behavior that aggravates me the most is sulking because it conveys the message that the person is still upset or angry about something without communicating the issue. When I am prepared to address the problem and someone just decides it’s a better idea to sulk instead of speak about what event caused them to be upset, it is quite frustrating. To me, sulking expresses the immature notion that communication is not beneficial, it’s not worth their time to explain their feelings to me or they would rather just stay upset. I use the silent treatment more often to express my hidden hostility because if I am not going to communicate openly I want my adversary to know that I am still angry while frustrating them with silence. My silence communicates that they have upset me beyond a point where I am willing to be friendly and converse with them. The silent treatment is unbeneficial to me because I do not use the opportunity to express my feelings which affects me emotionally in the long run and negatively impacts my relationship. In the immediate situation, using the silent treatment on someone brings me satisfaction while clearly upsetting my adversary which is very passive aggressive.