Chapter 4: Social Perception

Question 1

Define social perception.

Answer 1

-the study of how we form impressions of other people and make inferences about them

Question 2

What are the primary uses of nonverbal communication? (4)

Answer 2

-expressing emotion and eliciting empathy
-conveying attitudes
-communicating personality
-substitution for verbal messages

Question 3

What is the most significant channel of non-verbal communication?

Answer 3

-facial expressions

Question 4

Who believed that the primary emotions conveyed by the face are universal?

Answer 4

-Charles Darwin

Question 5

Define encode. Give an example. (2)

Answer 5

-express or emit nonverbal communication
-smiling or patting someone on the back

Question 6

Define decode. Give an example. (2)

Answer 6

-interpret the meaning of the nonverbal communications others express
-deciding that a pat on the back is an expression of kindness

Question 7

What does cross-cultural research show about the universality of the six facial expressions? List the universal emotions

Answer 7

-it supports the universality of anger, happiness, surprise, fear, disgust and sadness

Question 8

What are affect blends?

Answer 8

-one part of a person’s face registers one emotion while another shows a different emotion

Question 9

What are display rules? Example. (2)

Answer 9

-culturally determined rules about which nonverbal behaviours are appropriate to display
-men can express anger more than women

Question 10

If a culture is more individualistic, how likely are they to encourage the expression of emotions?

Answer 10

-more likely

Question 11

What are emblems? Example. (2)

Answer 11

-nonverbal gestures that have well understood definitions within a given culture
-like thumbs up