This study investigated how people made indirect refusals in a questionnaire and the role-play experiment. At first, 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders and undergraduates were asked to write down refusals to simple requests such as "Help me to relocate a bookcase" in a questionnaire. And then, other 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders and undergraduates were invited to participate in role-play experiment in pair, where each pair performed a request-refusal conversation. The types of refusals were categorized. The results showed that refusals were made by cancelling the information supporting the requests(eg.refusing person's inability to perform the requested act)and presenting information which inferring from the cancelled information(eg.requesting person's own act to perform his goal). Even the 3rd graders made the same types of refusals as the undergradutes, although the frequencies were different.

This study investigated how people made indirect refusals in a questionnaire and the role-play experiment. At first, 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders and undergraduates were asked to write down refusals to simple requests such as "Help me to relocate a bookcase" in a questionnaire. And then, other 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders and undergraduates were invited to participate in role-play experiment in pair, where each pair performed a request-refusal conversation. The types of refusals were categorized. The results showed that refusals were made by cancelling the information supporting the requests(eg.refusing person's inability to perform the requested act)and presenting information which inferring from the cancelled information(eg.requesting person's own act to perform his goal). Even the 3rd graders made the same types of refusals as the undergradutes, although the frequencies were different.