Which bias leads individuals to perceive social interactions as aggressive rather than pleasant?

Hostile perception bias is the phenomenon where individuals interpret social interactions through a lens of aggression or hostility, leading them to perceive neutral or even friendly gestures as aggressive or threatening. This bias arises from personal experiences or cultural backgrounds that shape one's worldview, often resulting in a negative outlook on social exchanges.

People affected by this bias might automatically assume that others have malicious intentions, which can skew their understanding of social dynamics and hinder their ability to connect with others positively. In various studies, it has been shown that individuals exhibiting this bias often misinterpret behaviors that are benign or neutral as being aggressive or confrontational, thereby affecting their social interactions and relationships.

The other options pertain to different social psychological concepts. Audience inhibition refers to the reluctance to act in front of others due to the fear of being judged. Groupthink describes a situation where a group makes faulty decisions because of a desire for harmony. Social influence encompasses the ways in which individuals change their behavior to meet the demands of a social environment. None of these concepts specifically address the tendency to perceive interactions as aggressive in the way that hostile perception bias does.