a Graduate School of Management, University of Haifa , Haifa , Israel.
Int J Psychol. 2013;48(6):1080-9. doi: 10.1080/00207594.2013.785634. Epub 2013 Jun 14.
Emotions are complex signals conveying a multitude of "messages" concomitantly. This idea is examined within the context of competence inferences drawn from the emotional expressions of another individual. In two studies, participants assuming the role of patients took part in a simulated medical consultation. They encountered a physician who had either a high or a standard professional status, and who responded with anger, shame, or emotional neutrality when asked to clarify the advice he dispensed. While a display of anger did not affect perceived competence, shame made the physician appear less competent. Three types of signals conveyed by the emotions were responsible for these effects: the physician's decisiveness and control over the situation, and the extent to which he felt professionally devalued by the patient's request, mediated the effects of the emotions on perceived competence. A priori information about the physician's professional status had little effect on the perception of competence. The research exemplifies the richness of information contained in emotions, and the complex way in which it allows observers to construe an impression of the expresser.
情绪是一种复杂的信号，同时传达着多种“信息”。这一观点是在从他人的情绪表达中推断出能力的背景下进行检验的。在两项研究中，参与者扮演患者的角色参与了模拟医疗咨询。他们遇到了一位医生，这位医生要么具有较高的专业地位，要么具有标准的专业地位，当被要求澄清他提供的建议时，他表现出愤怒、羞耻或情绪中立。虽然愤怒的表现并没有影响到感知能力，但羞耻感使医生显得不那么有能力。情绪所传达的三种信号是这些影响的原因：医生对情况的果断和控制程度，以及他对患者请求感到的职业贬低程度，都对感知能力的影响起到了中介作用。关于医生专业地位的先验信息对能力感知的影响很小。这项研究例证了情绪中所包含的丰富信息，以及观察者以复杂的方式构建表达者印象的方式。
