The effects of loneliness and verbal aggressiveness on message interpretation

This study predicted that loneliness and verbal aggressiveness are correlated with interpreting ambiguous messages negatively, and that loneliness, verbal aggressiveness, and negative interpretations are associated with experiencing communication as more difficult. Students (n = 173) completed personality assessments, rated their level of difficulty with everyday communication, and responded to two hypothetical scenarios, indicating whether the messages within them communicated rejection. Results support our contention that loneliness and verbal aggressiveness are predictors of negative interpretations and communication difficulty.