December 22, 2025 – We think we’re good at reading emotions, but new research suggests we might be getting it wrong and overestimating just how strongly the other person feels. 

The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that people who slightly overestimated others’ negative emotions were more empathic toward strangers, and their romantic partners reported higher relationship satisfaction. In other words, assuming that a partner is a little more upset than they claim may lead you to offer more care and attention, which are key ingredients for a healthy connection. 

The study was conducted by Prof. Anat Perry and her Ph.D. student, Shir Genzer, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) Psychology Department, together with Prof. Noga Cohen from the University of Haifa.  

“We tend to think accuracy is the gold standard in emotional understanding,” says Prof. Perry. “But our research suggests that a bit of bias, believing others feel more strongly than they do, can actually promote empathy and strengthen social bonds.”

Through a preliminary survey and seven multi-site studies, Prof. Perry and her team found a consistent pattern: people believe others’ emotions are more intense than those individuals report feeling, especially when it comes to negative emotions like anger, sadness, or fear.

This bias, which persisted in texts, videos, and live conversations, emerged whether participants were judging strangers or romantic partners.

Shir Genzer explains: “People reported that they tend to be accurate in identifying the emotional intensity of others, and that if there is any distortion, it’s actually in the opposite direction, that others underestimate the intensity of their emotions. However, our behavioral findings paint a different picture: we all tend to ‘exaggerate’ a bit when trying to read others’ emotions, and this may actually work in our favor. People who perceive others’ emotions as more intense tend to feel greater empathy and respond in a supportive and compassionate way.”

Prof. Perry adds: “Systematic perceptual biases are a central part of our cognitive systems. We’ve known for decades about perceptual biases that, for example, cause us to emphasize boundaries to easily distinguish between an object and its background. It highlights social biases, showing that we are more sensitive to the pain and sorrow of the “in-group” than of the “out-group.” From an evolutionary perspective, there are many reasons why it may be preferable to slightly overestimate others’ negative emotions rather than underestimate them. Some relate to empathy and showing concern for others, while others concern our own survival. Overall, it’s probably better to interpret another’s expression of fear or anger as a real potential threat worth preparing for, rather than dismiss it.” 

Ultimately, this study sheds light on one of the most fundamental aspects of social life, how we read one another’s emotions. It suggests that human connection isn’t built solely on accuracy, but on a delicate balance between perception, empathy, and a little bit of emotional imagination. 

The research paper titled “Directional bias in interpersonal emotion perception” is now available in Nature Communications and can be accessed here.

Researchers: