The Economic Times

Psychology says people who never answer unknown numbers are not rude, they may be protecting more than their privacy

For many people, declining an unknown call may have little to do with anxiety and more to do with managing personal boundaries. Communication psychologist Sandra Petronios Communication Privacy Management Theory suggests that people develop rules about when, how and with whom they share private information. Because individuals often view personal information as something they own and control, they may choose to regulate who can access it depending on the situation.