Anger can be an effective negotiating tool—but only if it's genuine, a paper reports.
In two experiments, researchers staged exercises in which undergraduates were asked to negotiate the sale of a hypothetical used car. The students' counterparts in the deal-making were actors told to behave in one of three ways: to display a neutral emotional state, to don angry expressions in an obviously fake way without a change in their internal state, or to display genuine anger by remembering an infuriating real-life incident.
The fake anger brought escalating student demands. But faced with an actor who seemed truly angry, students made lower counteroffers. The fake anger undermined trust, according to the researchers, while genuine anger came across as tough. The findings are consistent with research suggesting that anger signals dominance and promotes compliance.
"The Consequences of Faking Anger in Negotiations," Stéphane Côté, Ivona Hideg, Gerben A. van Kleef, Journal of Experimental Psychology (Jan. 8)
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