Nonverbal
Communication Abstracts
Martin, L. R. & Friedman, H. S. (2004). Nonverbal communication and health care. In R.E. Riggio & R. S. Feldman (Eds.), Applications of Nonverbal Communication. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Abstract: Nonverbal communication – the use of dynamic but non-language messages such as facial expressions, gestures, gaze, touch, and vocal cues -- is especially important when emotions, identities, and status roles are significant, as well as in situations where verbal communications are untrustworthy, ambiguous, or otherwise difficult to interpret. The importance of nonverbal cues is thus central in the health arena.
Friedman, H.S. (2001). Paradoxes of Nonverbal Detection, Expression, and Responding: Points to PONDER. In J.A. Hall & F. J. Bernieri (eds.), Interpersonal Sensitivity: Theory and Measurement. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, pp. 351-362.
Abstract:
Ponder a number of puzzling paradoxes of interpersonal
sensitivity. In various situations, it appears that a tremendous
amount of important interpersonal knowledge is being rapidly
communicated, mostly nonverbally. Yet we usually do not
understand how this occurs. On the other hand, there is a great
deal of misinformation and misunderstanding in face-to-face human
relations. Here too we often cannot decipher precisely what is
going wrong. Such matters undoubtedly involve the sounds, gestures,
touches, odors, and faces of spreading emotion. They are fertile
grounds for the future study of nonverbal sensitivity in particular,
and interpersonal sensitivity in general.
Friedman, H. S. & Riggio, R. E. (1999).
Individual differences in ability to encode complex emotions. Personality
and Individual Differences, 27, 181-194.
Abstract:
Based on past theory and research, three complex affective
communications, sympathy (compassion), pride and seduction, were
selected for focused study. 62 undergraduates (mean age 20.6 yrs) were
measured on relevant personality variables and were videotaped while
attempting to encode both basic emotional expressions and the three
complex affects. Groups of raters rated the success of each attempted
portrayal. Other raters judged the facial expressions employed.
Analyses revealed the characteristics of successful senders as well as
the errors made by unsuccessful communicators. Significant positive
intercorrelations between Subjects' abilities to encode each of the
complex affects and correlations between encoding complex and basic
emotional messages suggested that there may be a general ability to
express affect. Correlations between the personality measures and
encoding ability showed that dominant and exhibitionistic Subjects and
emotionally expressive female Subjects and male Subjects who were good
'social actors', were better encoders of complex affect. These results
have implications for understanding the emotional subtleties of social
life and the differential social success of various individuals.
DePaulo, B.M. & Friedman, H.S. (1997). Nonverbal
Communication. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (eds.) Handbook
of Social Psychology, 4th edition.
Abstract:
To understand fully the role of nonverbal communication in social
psychology, it is important to analyze the perception side and the
expression side, and then examine social factors that can undermine
veridicality--self-perception and the interpersonal process of
deception. Finally, the analysis must be taken to more complex levels
of dynamic
interaction and mutuality, involving social influence, attraction,
interpersonal expectations and conversations. This is therefore the
outline
followed in this chapter.... After discussing the roots of nonverbal
research, this chapter discusses: nonverbal cues in person perception;
expressiveness and personal charisma; self-presentation; deception;
social influence; attraction; expectancy communication; and
conversation.
Tucker,
Joan S.; Friedman, Howard S. Sex differences in nonverbal
expressiveness:
Emotional expression, personality, and impressions. Journal of
Nonverbal
Behavior, 1993 Summer, v17 (n2):103-117.
Abstract:
Administered a comprehensive set of emotion-relevant personality
measures
to 40 female and 39 male undergraduates, who were also videotaped in 3
situations. The situations included engaging in natural social
interaction,
describing a past emotional experience, and posing various emotions.
Videotapes
were judged by sets of naive observers as to emotion communicated and
overall
impression. Expressive females, who appeared friendly and dominant in
social
interaction, were found to have a hostile/aggressive personality.
Expressive
females also tended to look angry/disgusted when describing happy and
sad
experiences. Findings suggest that nonverbally skilled, charismatic
women
may often possess a dominant/aggressive but self-controlled
personality,
in a new twist on the theory that sex differences in expressiveness
result
in part from the oppression of women in society.
Friedman, Howard
S.; Miller-Herringer, Terry. Nonverbal display of emotion in public and
in private: Self-monitoring, personality, and expressive cues. Journal
of Personality & Social Psychology, 1992 Nov, v61 (n5):766-775.
Abstract:
Individual differences in the expression and regulation of emotion are
important components of social skill. The present study focused on the
concealing of spontaneous expressions of happiness after winning in a
competitive
situation against peers. In a repeated measures design, spontaneous
expressive
behaviors in response to triumph were secretly videotaped when Subjects
( N = 38) were alone in a room and when they were with 2 fellow
competitors
(confederates). Edited tapes were analyzed by naive raters and trained
coders. As predicted, the social context strongly influenced the
expressive
behaviors of Subjects, providing support for a social inhibition
effect.
More important, the self-monitoring construct (M. Snyder, 1987) was
helpful
in explaining individual differences in expressive regulation, with
high
self-monitors being successful at hiding their happiness when
appropriate;
they did so in particular ways. Low self-monitors did not conceal their
emotions. Other findings with regard to personality and sex differences
were also uncovered.
BOOK CHAPTER
Friedman, Howard
S.; Tucker, Joan S. Language and deception. IN: Handbook of
language
and social psychology.; Howard Giles, W. Peter Robinson, Eds. John
Wiley & Sons, Chichester, England. 1990. p. 257-270.
Abstract:
(from the chapter) it is useful to think of deception as part of a
constantly
negotiated social reality; deception involves an actor who has various
feelings, motivations, expressions, and styles that affect the
behavioral
cues that he or she gives off to a perceiver; the perceiver, in turn,
uses
various perceptual and cognitive processes to draw inferences about the
actor and responds to the actor based on these inferences; as the
perceiver's
responses feed back to the actor, the cycle of communication and
reality
negotiation continues... accuracy levels; perceived and actual cues to
deception; a model of deception; a skills approach to understanding the
deception process.
Friedman, Howard
S.; Riggio, Ronald E.; Casella, Daniel F. Nonverbal skill, personal
charisma,
and initial attraction. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin,
1988 Mar, v14 (n1):203-211.
Abstract:
Administered measures of nonverbal expressiveness, self-monitoring, and
extraversion, including the Eysenck Personality Inventory, to 54
undergraduates.
Subjects were surreptitiously videotaped while entering a laboratory
and
meeting new people and were rated by a separate group of 30
undergraduates
on scales of likability and physical attractiveness. Results indicate
that
emotionally expressive, extraverted, and physically attractive Subjects
were evaluated more favorably in these initial encounters than were
Subjects
scoring low on these dimensions. The relationships between
expressivity/extraversion
and initial likability were independent of the effects of physical
attractiveness.
Results suggest that conceptions of overall attractiveness need to move
beyond the physical qualities to include dynamic, emotional aspects.
Riggio, Ronald
E.; Friedman, Howard S. Impression formation: The role of expressive
behavior.
Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 1986 Feb, v50
(n2):421-427.
Abstract:
35 female and 27 male undergraduates completed the Personality Research
Form, Eysenck Personality Inventory, and Self-Monitoring Scale.
Subjects
were also assessed on posed emotional sending ability and on physical
attractiveness.
Subjects were then videotaped while giving a spontaneous "explanation."
Trained coders measured 5 separate nonverbal cue factors displayed by
the
Subjects in the videotapes. Groups of untrained judges viewed the tapes
and rated their impressions of the Subjects on scales of likability,
speaking
effectiveness, and expressivity-confidence. Males who were nonverbally
skilled and extraverted tended to display more outwardly focused and
fluid
expressive behaviors, and made more favorable impressions on judges,
than
did males who scored low on the measures of nonverbal skills and
extraversion.
Females who were nonverbally skilled displayed more facial
expressiveness,
which led to more favorable initial impressions. It is suggested that
these
sex differences may reflect basic differences in the acquisition and
use
of expressive nonverbal cues by males and females.
Sullins, Ellen
S.; Friedman, Howard S.; Harris, Monica J. Individual differences in
expressive
style as a mediator of expectancy communication. Journal of
Nonverbal
Behavior, 1985 Winter, v9 (n4):229-238.
Abstract:
Examined the role of nonverbal expressiveness and self-monitoring as
mediators
in the communication of teachers' expectations for student performance
to a 3rd party observer. 32 female undergraduates were recruited to be
videotaped while teaching a brief lesson to a high school student who
was
presented as either very bright and motivated or not. Videotapes
showing
only the teacher were later shown to undergraduate observers who were
asked
for their impressions of the student being taught. It was hypothesized
that teachers who were nonverbally expressive would communicate their
expectations
to the observers and would elicit from them responses similar to their
own. On the other hand, unexpressive teachers would not communicate
their
expectations, eliciting observer responses unrelated to their own. The
predictions were supported; however, it was found that spontaneous
expressiveness
interacted with self-monitoring in determining expectancy
communication.
Riggio, Ronald
E.; Widaman, Keith F.; Friedman, Howard S. Actual and perceived
emotional
sending and personality correlates. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior,
1985 Summer, v9 (n2):69-83.
Abstract:
Investigated the relationship between 68 undergraduate's ability to
facially
express 6 basic emotions and their perceived success at expressing
these
emotions. Subjects completed a number of standardized personality
scales
and were videotaped while attempting to portray the emotions.
Immediately
following the videotaping, Subjects rated their perceived success in
the
emotional-sending task. 69 undergraduate observers then judged the
emotional-sending
videotapes to determine Subjects' actual sending abilities. Analysis
indicated
that actual and perceived emotional-sending were distinct factors.
Zero-order
correlations between the traditional personality measures and the
actual
and perceived sending factors also supported this distinction. Findings
have important implications for the construction of standardized
measures
of individual differences in nonverbal communication skills.
Friedman, Howard
S.; Hall, Judith A.; Harris, Monica J. Type A behavior, nonverbal
expressive
style, and health. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology,
1985 May, v48 (n5):1299-1315.
Abstract:
60 42-64 yr old males at high risk for coronary heart disease were
examined
in terms of their expressive style, specific nonverbal cues,
personality,
and health. As assessed by the Jenkins Activity Survey, half the
Subjects
were Type A's (coronary-prone) and half were Type B's
(non-coronary-prone).
To provide a more refined grouping, Subjects were further classified on
the basis of scores on a self-report measure of nonverbal
expressiveness.
Videotapes of the Subjects were extensively rated and coded in terms of
their judged appearance, the actual audio and video nonverbal cues
emitted,
and the words said (transcript). Two groups of Type A's were found: one
that was repressed, tense, and illness-prone, and another that was
healthy,
talkative, in control, and charismatic. Furthermore, in addition to the
expected healthy Type B's, a subgroup of Type B's was found who were
submissive,
repressed, and tense; had an external locus of control; and may have
been
illness prone. A refined conception of the Type A behavior pattern is
deemed
necessary in light of these findings. Implications for improving the
validity
of the Type A construct and understanding the link between psychosocial
factors and disease are discussed.
Riggio, Ronald
E.; Friedman, Howard S. Individual differences and cues to deception. Journal
of Personality & Social Psychology, 1983 Oct, v45 (n4):899-915.
Abstract:
In an extension of previous studies on deception and deception
detection,
the present study investigated the relations among individual
differences,
behavioral cues displayed when deceiving and telling the truth, and the
perceptions of naive observers. 63 undergraduates were measured on the
Self-Monitoring Scale, the Affective Communication Test, the
Personality
Research Form, the Eysenck Personality Inventory, their acting ability,
and their overall appearance. They were then videotaped while deceiving
and while telling the truth, and their verbal and nonverbal cues were
rated
and coded. Their success at creating an honest appearance was assessed
by showing edited videotapes of their faces or their bodies to naive
judges
(176 undergraduates), with and without sound. Behavioral cues validly
discriminated
truthfulness from deception, but these valid cues were not necessarily
used or were incorrectly used by the judges. Comparison of the facial
and
body conditions suggested explanations for the relative inaccuracy of
face-viewing
judges. Individual differences were related to the overall display of
behavioral
cues, to variance in the display of cues from deceptive to truthful
conditions,
to overall perceptions of truthfulness, and to successful deception.
Riggio, Ronald
E.; Friedman, Howard S. The interrelationships of self-monitoring
factors,
personality traits, and nonverbal social skills. Journal of
Nonverbal
Behavior, 1982 Fall, v7 (n1):33-45.
Abstract:
Examined the interrelationships of several standardized measures of
nonverbal
skills and personality in 2 studies. In Study 1, 68 undergraduates took
the Personality Research Form--Form A, the ACT Assessment, the Eysenck
Personality Inventory, and a self-monitoring scale; Subjects also
participated
in a videotaped attempt to send each of 6 possible emotions. Subjects
were
then asked to describe pictures by either lying or telling the truth.
In
Study 2, 82 undergraduates took the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability
Scale, the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, the Rotter Internal-External
Locus of Control Scale, the ACT Assessment, a self-esteem inventory, a
sensitivity to nonverbal communications test, and a self-monitoring
scale.
The self-monitoring factor Acting was positively correlated with
aggression,
dominance, exhibition, and Machiavellianism. The self-monitoring factor
Other-Directedness was positively related to social recognition,
neuroticism,
Machiavellianism, and manifest anxiety; and negatively related to
self-esteem,
social desirability, achievement and endurance. Self-monitoring
measures
the ability to send emotional displays and knowledge of social rules
and
social sensitivity.
Friedman, Howard
S.; Riggio, Ronald E. Effect of individual differences in nonverbal
expressiveness
on transmission of emotion. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 1981
Winter, v6 (n2):96-104.
Abstract:
Tested the possibility that individual differences in nonverbal
expressiveness
may function as a mediating factor in the transmission of emotion
through
social comparison. In a quasiexperimental design involving 27 highly
expressive
undergraduates and 54 unexpressive undergraduates (as measured by the
Affective
Communication Test), small groups consisting of 1 expressive Subject
and
2 unexpressive Subjects were created in which the Subjects sat facing
each
other without talking for 2 min. Self-report measures of mood indicated
that the feelings of unexpressive Subjects were influenced by
expressive
Subjects but the feelings of expressive Subjects were relatively
unlikely
to be influenced by unexpressive Subjects. Findings have implications
for
the role of nonverbal communication in the emotional side of group
interaction.
Riggio, Ronald
E.; Friedman, Howard S.; DiMatteo, M. Robin. Nonverbal greetings:
Effects
of the situation and personality. Personality & Social
Psychology
Bulletin, 1981 Dec, v7 (n4):682-689.
Abstract:
Investigated the effects of various situational and personality
variables
on the display of nonverbal greetings. 30 female and 23 male graduates
and undergraduates served as Subjects. Five other females and 5 other
males
served as confederates. The sex of the greeting interactants, level of
acquaintanceship, and the topic to be discussed were systematically
varied
in a number of role-played greeting situations. 49 observers then rated
these role-played greetings in terms of intimacy and the type of
greeting
displayed. Greetings between role-played friends were judged more
intimate
than greetings between acquaintances. In addition, Subjects who scored
higher on standardized measures of nonverbal skills were more intimate
overall in their greeting displays.
Friedman, Howard
S.; Riggio, Ronald E.; Segall, Daniel O. Personality and the enactment
of emotion. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 1980 Fall, v5
(n1):35-48.
Abstract:
Investigated the meaning of personality traits for social interaction
by
exploring the personality correlates of abilities to pose emotions.
This
framework focuses on individual differences in socioemotional skills.
31
male and 37 female undergraduates were videotaped while attempting to
communicate
7 basic emotions nonverbally (i.e., using standard content
communications),
and sending success was measured by showing edited videotapes to
judges.
Hypothesized relationships between "acting" ability and scores
on the Personality Research Form and the Eysenck Personality Inventory
were than examined. Findings have implications for predicting
individual
strengths and weaknesses in social interaction as a function of certain
personality traits and for understanding person perception.
Friedman, Howard
S.; DiMatteo, M. Robin; Mertz, Timothy I. Nonverbal communication on
television
news: The facial expressions of broadcasters during coverage of a
presidential
election campaign. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin,
1980 Sep, v6 (n3):427-435.
Abstract:
Examined the facial expressions of 5 network TV news anchorpersons
during
their coverage of the 1976 presidential election campaign. The
possibility
for systematic yet subtle nonverbal communication in the news was
explored
through a "nonverbal content analysis" in which the facial expressions
that accompanied the uttering of the candidates' names were studied.
Significant
differences were found in the perceived positiveness of the facial
expressions
of broadcasters as a function of the candidates.
Friedman, Howard
S.; Prince, Louise M.; Riggio, Ronald E.; DiMatteo, M. Robin.
Understanding
and assessing nonverbal expressiveness: The Affective Communication
Test.
Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 1980 Aug, v39
(n2):333-351.
Abstract:
577 undergraduates participated in an investigation of the concept of
nonverbal
emotional expressiveness. Subjects were administered a 13-item
self-report
Affective Communication Test (ACT) and a battery of other tests,
including
the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, Taylor Manifest Anxiety
Scale,
Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, and Coopersmith
Self-Esteem
Inventory. Results show the ACT to be a reliable and valid measure of
individual
differences in expressiveness/charisma, which is (a) a likely element
of
social influence in face-to-face interaction, (b) a logical extension
of
past approaches to a basic element of personality (exhibition), and (c)
a valuable construct in approaching current problems in nonverbal
communication
research.
DiMatteo, M. Robin;
Friedman, Howard S.; Taranta, Angelo. Sensitivity to bodily nonverbal
communication
as a factor in practitioner-patient rapport. Journal of Nonverbal
Behavior,
1979 Fall, v4 (n1):18-26.
Abstract:
Tested the relationship between physicians' nonverbal sensitivity and
the
satisfaction of their patients. In Exp I, 40 physicians were given a
film
test of nonverbal sensitivity (Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity) and
evaluated
by their patients. Exp II was a replication using 31 different
physicians.
Most noteworthy for research in therapeutic interaction, the present
study
contained 3 methodological advances: (1) the use of actual patients'
ratings
of satisfaction with treatment, (2) the extension of research from
psychological
to medical settings, and (3) the use of a standardized test of
nonverbal
decoding skill. Physicians' skill at reading the emotion conveyed
through
the nonverbal channel of body movement was found to be significantly
correlated
with their interpersonal success with patients in the clinical setting.
Friedman, Howard
S. The interactive effects of facial expressions of emotion and verbal
messages on perceptions of affective meaning. Journal of
Experimental
Social Psychology, 1979 Sep, v15 (n5):453-469.
Abstract:
The influence of facial expressions of emotion on perceptions of
affective
sentence meaning was investigated by pairing happy, angry, surprised,
and
sad faces of "teachers" with sentences of varying affective tone.
95 high school students judged the overall meaning communicated by
these
paired stimuli. The design allowed exploration of unique facial-verbal
combination effects, overall cue integration effects, and sex
differences.
Clear effects of cue combinations emerged. Perceived sincerity was a
function
of the consistency of evaluative (positivity) but not dominance cues.
The
subtleties of cue combination were clarified through open-ended
dependent
measures. Also, as expected, females were more sensitive than males to
verbal-nonverbal cue conflict in perceptions of sincerity. Findings are
discussed in regard to the need for a firm empirical base upon which to
integrate verbal and nonverbal research traditions in the communication
of affective meaning.
Friedman, Howard
S. The relative strength of verbal versus nonverbal cues. Personality
& Social Psychology Bulletin, 1978 Winter, v4 (n1):147-150.
Abstract:
A caveat is issued regarding simplistic comparisons of the potency of
verbal
vs nonverbal cues. To illustrate the danger, data are reported from a
study
in which 95 high school students judged the meaning communicated by
various
face-sentence pairings. Results show that judgments were highly
dependent
on the nature of the questions asked. On a global positivity question,
the nonverbal cues (i.e., facial expressions) had a greater impact than
the words.
Ellsworth, Phoebe
C.; Friedman, Howard S.; Perlick, Deborah; Hoyt, Michael E. Some
effects
of gaze on subjects motivated to seek or to avoid social comparison. Journal
of Experimental Social Psychology, 1978 Jan, v14 (n1):69-87.
Abstract:
In a conceptual replication and extension of I. Sarnoff and P. G.
Zimbardo's
(see PA, Vol 36:4HK56S) study, 88 female undergraduates were motivated
to seek (fear arousal) or avoid (embarrassment arousal) social
comparison.
They were then required to affiliate with another person who either
encouraged
social comparison by gazing directly at the Subjects or discouraged it
by averting his or her gaze. This other person was either an
appropriate
reference person (similar state) or irrelevant for social comparison
purposes.
As predicted, fear Subjects liked a companion who looked at them and
felt
less tense in his or her presence, while embarrassed Subjects preferred
the person who looked away. This interaction occurred only in the
appropriate
reference person condition, a result consistent with an explanation
based
on social comparison processes.