This experimental study examined the effects of relative differences in the social skills of two persons interacting with one another with respect to each person's interpersonal stress reactions. Pairs of subjects made 10-min conversations in a laboratory. Each subject's social skills, psychological stress reactions, and eyeblinks were measured. Fifty-seven undergraduates (22 male and 35 female) participated. Subjects with lower levels of social skills than their partners exhibited more psychological stress reactions (anger, depression, and anxiety) and blinked more frequently. These findings suggest that we should consider the relative differences in social skills of two persons when evaluating the degree of interpersonal stress reactions
