Which example best demonstrates identifying emotional reactions of others and their causes?

• A. "She's happy because her brother is here."
• B. "She's happy because she completed a task."
• C. "He's sad because his toy broke."
• D. "They look excited today."

Answer: (A)

Identifying how someone else feels and why they feel that way is shown when you connect an emotion to its trigger in a social context. The sentence “she’s happy because her brother is here” does that clearly: it names the other person’s emotion (happiness) and explains the reason behind it (the brother being present). That direct link between a person’s emotional state and what caused it is exactly what this item is testing.

The other examples don’t demonstrate that same social-cue interpretation as clearly. One describes happiness tied to completing a task, which is about her own reaction rather than interpreting another person’s emotion. Another states someone is sad because a toy broke, which identifies emotion and cause but isn’t as focused on understanding another person’s reaction in a social situation. The last notes that they look excited but doesn’t explain what caused that emotion.