In a study, psychologists showed participants a videotape of a close friend or acquaintance telling a story about an irksome event, such as an incident in which he or she yelled or acted aggressively. The researchers shut off the monitor's sound to force viewers to focus only on nonverbal cues.

The researchers found that subjects often fail to detect concealed anger in their close pals. Such mistakes occur, researchers suggest, because friends misinterpret ambiguous signals of emotion, giving them a positive spin. Acquaintances, however, saw signals of anger and irritation more readily.

# posted by Gerry Canavan @ 7:26 AM  |