This study explored the relationship between help-seeking and sensitivity to covert and overt nonverbal cues of emotion. In a help-seeking context, covert cues (cues one is trying to hide) would often include signs of annoyance and inconvenience expressed by a potential helper, while overt cues (cues one is trying to convey) would include polite signs of compliance and willingness to give aid. It was hypothesized and found that individuals who seek help readily, compared to those who are more reluctant to ask for help, are relatively more sensitive to overt emotional cues than to covert emotional cues. The implications of these findings are discussed.
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