social dynamics

Silence in a conversation creates a false sense of rejection.

Wesselmann et al. (2011) found that silence used as an act of social exclusion (being ignored) is perceived as ostracism.

The research concerns intentional lack of response, not brief pauses within a flow of dialogue.

A pause is rarely a judgment of you.

Where this comes from

Study: Wesselmann et al., 2011, Ostracism by silence
What the check found: The study defines silence as an active tool of ostracism (being ignored), not as incidental pauses in dialogue. Labeling common conversational pauses as 'personal exclusion' distorts the researchers' findings.
Confidence: Solid, with limits

One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.