Explore the freeze response and power dynamics in workplace harassment. Learn why victims often focus on tasks instead of confronting inappropriate behavior.
The 'unprofessional' person in this story isn't the person who made an invoice error; it’s the person who introduced sexual conduct into a business call. Your reaction—staying focused, rushing to finish, apologizing—is actually a highly evolved survival strategy to navigate a power imbalance.
I want to learn more about the psychology of a workplace interaction where my male boss was on the phone with me discussing an invoice and knowingly made sexual noises during the call. I stayed focused on the invoice, became uncomfortable and rushed to finish, and apologized because I had made an invoice mistake he had previously explained to me. I want to understand the psychological dynamics, power dynamics, boundaries, and whether this behavior is considered sexual harassment, sexualized
The freeze response is a documented psychological response where an individual pivots to mundane tasks, like focusing on an invoice or spreadsheet, when faced with inappropriate behavior. Rather than a failure of nerve, this reaction is the brain's attempt to maintain social preservation during a bizarre or uncomfortable situation. Research indicates a significant gap between how people believe they will react to harassment and their actual visceral response in the moment.
A classic study at Boston College highlighted the discrepancy between predicted and actual behavior regarding harassment. While 100% of women surveyed believed they would resist or confront inappropriate sexual questions during a job interview, the study found that zero percent actually did when the situation occurred. Instead of confronting the behavior, participants stayed in the interview, smiled, and attempted to keep the conversation focused on the job at hand.
Staying focused on a task, such as finishing an invoice while hearing inappropriate noises on a call, is a common psychological response to workplace harassment. This behavior is often driven by the brain's desire to maintain social norms and avoid the shift in reality that occurs when harassment is acknowledged. It demonstrates the complex power dynamics at work, where the victim tries to navigate a deeply uncomfortable situation by doubling down on professional duties.
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