Directional bias in interpersonal emotion perception

Accurately understanding others’ emotional states is fundamental to effective social functioning. While extensive research exists on how humans recognize different emotions, little is known about how people assess emotional intensity. Through a preliminary survey and seven multi-site studies (n = 2866), we demonstrate that despite believing they gauge emotions accurately, systematic discrepancies emerge: individuals tend to rate others’ emotions as more intense than those individuals rate themselves, particularly for negative emotions. This bias persists across text-based interactions, recorded videos, and live conversations, with both strangers and romantic partners. Interestingly, while people report preferring accurate judgments of their own emotional intensity, the discrepancy may serve adaptive functions, predicting higher empathic responses with strangers and greater relationship satisfaction in romantic relationships. These findings advance understanding of discrepancies in interpersonal emotional perception, highlighting their potential adaptive roles and providing insight into how they shape our social world and relationship outcomes.