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46 The Mediation Process refused mediation services in 1,898 of 3,911 cases-a refusal rate of 48 percent. Pearson (1982) found a rejection rate of 50 percent among divorcing couples in Denver, Colorado, who were offered free mediation services. Davis, Tichane, and Grayson (1980) found that in felony offenses among acquaintances, 32 percent of those referred to mediation failed to report and 12 percent refused outright to participate in the process. Researchers have attributed the rejection of mediation services to (1) unfamiliarity with the process, (2) rigid adher- ence to a win-lose approach to dispute resolution, (3) intense emotions that block communication, and (4) habitual attach- ment to judicial means of dispute settlement (Cook, Rochl, and Shepard, 1980). Single-party requests for mediation services generally seem to result in fewer instances of mediation. Given the above data on rejection rates, what should the mediator do if approached by only one party? After talking with the initiator, the intervenor must contact the responding party. Often the mediator or agency will mail a letter to the. responding party, explaining the process of mediation and its advantages, liabilities, and cost, and notifying the party that the mediator will call within a short time to answer any ques- tions and to discuss whether the party is interested in using the process. This letter helps the mediator avoid calling spon- taneously and without introductions, forewarns the respond- ing party of the intervenor's imminent call, and gives the dis- putant an opportunity to consider the viability of mediation before talking to the mediator. When the mediator calls the respondent, the intervenor should not assume that the party wants to mediate. Since many people are not familiar with the process, the mediator may need to educate the respondents before obtaining a commitment to mediate. He or she should allow adequate time to explain the process and answer any questions. Care should be taken not to "hard sell" mediation. The respondent should select the option and not feel pressured to use the mediator's services. The party's personal commitment is crucial to successful settlement. One mediator has used a paradoxical approach to explain