Ignorance may be bliss: How the ability to perceive emotions influences attitudes and behavior.

Abstract

The ability to perceive emotion is traditionally associated with desirable work outcomes. In the present study, we challenge this assumption by examining whether all emotion perception abilities are created equal. Although the ability to perceive positive emotion may be a "blessing" because it allows one to see positive emotions in one's environment, the empathic accuracy model suggests that the ability to perceive negative emotion may be a "curse" because it allows one to see negative emotions in one's environment and, as such, may adversely affect one's attitudes and behaviors at work. Across an experimental design (Study 1), a sample of employed coworker dyads (Study 2), and an experience sampling study (Study 3), we found no support for "the blessing" of the ability to perceive positive emotion, but we did find evidence of the curse of the ability to perceive negative emotion and its harmful effects on how one perceives their coworkers, how one perceives their job, and the extent to which one withdraws from their job. Our findings suggest that emotional contagion is a potential mechanism through which the ability to perceive negative emotion is detrimental to attitudes and behaviors; the more one observes and subsequently feels negative emotions at work, the greater the personal consequences for this ability. To mitigate the adverse effects of this ability, we test and find support for an intervention that instructs employees to focus on positive emotions in their work environment. Implications for future theory and research on emotion perception ability are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).