Rola emocjonalnego podłoża łez w procesie spostrzegania społecznego

Abstract

Three experimental studies (N = 340), preceded by two pilot studies (N = 130), tested the effects of emotional tears visible on faces on perceived communion (warmth and morality) and agency (assertiveness and competence). The studies also tested the boundary conditions of the analyzed effects, including the role of tear-evoking emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear) and the situational context in which they appear (private or public). Possible mediators of the effect of tears on judgments of agency and communion were also analyzed, including honesty, helplessness, emotionality, and appropriateness of the response. The results have consistently indicated that tears act as a "social glue" while also revealing that conceptual and qualitative differences within the sub-dimensions of communion and agency are reflected in the strength of the effect of tears on these sub-dimensions. It was also shown that the quality and social meaning of emotions – and probably also their intensity – interact with the social meaning of tears, often determining not only the strength but also the direction of the effect of tears on social perception. The current results thus support the idea that tears are only one of many elements of nonverbal expression, and the final interpretation of their social meaning depends on the overall perception of the person being evaluated.