One thing is certain, and that is, most people would have come across these situations at one point in their lives. When a person genuinely gives a compliment for something. It could be related to anything, a job done at work, achievements, or even gestures. The compliments are really aimed at them, and they mean no harm in giving them either. But when it comes to responding to those compliments, the recipient takes time.While some people tend to smile, some choose to look away and laugh, or delay their response as well. For a third party watching, such behavior looks odd and can only be explained as a person being uncomfortable with or embarrassed by the compliment. In actuality, psychologists claim that such behavior might mean more than just that.Difference between praise and conversationWhile conversations are basically a form of communication, this situation is quite different because it involves singling out one individual. This needs to be noted since it holds significant importance for the subject matter. Conclusion of the review featured in the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience stated that social rewards activate brain circuits responsible for motivation, learning, and evaluation.Although the feeling associated with receiving appreciation is pleasant, it makes people more aware of themselves because of how others see them. This may explain why people find it hard to respond. In addition to processing the compliment, individuals should think about all the extra attention they receive.By taking a closer examination of the matter from the psychological viewpoint, another important element becomes evident. Unlike simple feelings like happiness or sadness, self-conscious emotions are more about being mindful about how others view us. Self-conscious emotions include shame, pride, modesty, and self-awareness.According to the findings made by Emotion Review, receiving positive attention results in self-reflection as social evaluation of oneself. People demonstrate this type of behavior in different ways, such as lowering eyes, awkward smiling, and even temporary stopping talking.Nevertheless, psychologists do not regard these actions as reactions of rejection. On the contrary, it might indicate the attempt to cope with the socially significant situation. Simply put, a reaction takes place because of the significance of the praise and not its insignificance.That awkward pause after praise may reveal something surprising. Image credit - GeminiWhy shy individuals react to compliments slowerOne answer may be connected to personality characteristics of shyness. The research published on PubMed Central in 2025 proves that the feeling of modesty affects a perception of social feedback. Namely, it was found that although modest people feel pleasure from praising, they restrain themselves and manage their reaction. Therefore, modesty does not relate to the absence of vanity but to the desire to minimize self-centeredness to prevent narcissism.It results in the difference in the time span between receiving a compliment and responding to it. As a result of restraining oneself, individuals stop and react to the praise not causing others the impression that they like it.What to do when the compliment is contradictory to your self-imageAnother issue which affects some individuals in responding to the compliments can be related to having higher expectations from negative feedback or rejection. As a result, it is more challenging for them to incorporate the received positive reinforcement into their self-image.In case they get unexpected positive reinforcement, then their brain may require some time to process the compliment as it does not match their current self-image. It can be expressed in hesitation. What looks like insecurity is just the process of adapting to the new information.Praise effect on relationshipsOne must bear in mind that positive reinforcement not only affects the recipient's mood but also the relations between people. As stated by scientists from Scientific Reports, positive social reinforcement enhances proximity, cooperation, and trust among people.In this regard, many times the reaction towards receiving a compliment is connected with the need to protect the relations rather than evaluate the compliment. One may refrain from answering because it takes some time to come up with a proper response. In other cases, it may be because the individual does not want to come across as boastful or too eager.What psychologists claim about the meaning of the pausePsychologists emphasize that each response to being praised should be regarded differently since all people are unique. The reasons why someone may remain silent after being praised are quite diverse: personality traits, level of self-confidence, social context, and even culture have an impact on what happens in such moments.However, psychologists claim that there is still a pattern. Indeed, praise is not only positive feedback but also a certain period of attention, visibility, and judgment. This combination often needs some time to process.A long pause after receiving praise does not always mean a lack of gratitude or embarrassment. On the contrary, a person who remains silent might do this because he/she needs some time to get used to being praised and pay attention to what is going on. Sometimes, silence itself becomes meaningful as it indicates that one was praised and has taken some time to adapt.