Decisions to leave ambivalent situations

“Should I stay or should I go now?” is both well-known song, and a common decision in everyday social life. We face such decisions when on a first date, in a meeting with a potential business partner, or in a conversation with an overbearing neighbor. Many types of social interactions require such stay-or-leave decisions, which are often not easy to make: They are highly dynamic, with a constant stream of internal and external cues, that can be both positive and negative, potentially creating ambivalence. Moreover, although staying and leaving appear to be two alternatives, only leaving requires an active choice, while staying remains the default. People often maintain the status quo, especially when decisions are difficult. This is especially important when such decisions occur in potentially high-stakes social contexts, such as sexual interactions. In such domains, like the sexual one, decisions are typically examined retrospectively through introspection. Yet how do people make real-time choices to stay or leave?