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JIMINY SELF-HELP HANDBOOK 9

Step 7: We let the other person know that we’re listening. For example, by shaking our head.
Step 8: When the other person stops talking, we try to paraphrase or translate what he said. Reflect
what we think we have heard. This technique helps to ensure if there is a clear understanding.

Step 9: We try to recognize the individual’s feelings. For example: “You sound angry” or “you seem to
be upset” etc.

https://unsplash.com/photos/lp1AKIUV3yo

Decoding Emotions
Appraisal and recognition of emotion in others
relates to the ability to perceive and understand
the emotions of the people around us. Past
research [like Friesen (1972] has provided strong
evidence for the universal facial expressions of
seven emotions – anger, contempt, disgust, fear,
joy, sadness, and surprise, although cultural
2
differences do exist.

The ability to accurately decipher emotional expressions plays a key role in social interaction (Kilts,
Egan, Gideon, Ely, & Hoffman, 2003) as it facilitates appropriate responding and bonding (Isaacowitz
et al., 2007). There are different ways to “read” other people’s emotions, including paying attention
to speech (i.e., vocal inflections, tone of voice, word use) and body movements and facial expressions.
[by Positive Psychology Program B.V]

2 https://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2011/05/facial-expressions