Non-Verbal Communication Flashcards
A study in tone of voice?
Argyle, Allema ,Gilmour
Aim: to see whether tone of voice has any effect when interpreting a verbal message.
Method: Different groups of people listened to hostile or friendly messages, that were spoken in either hostile or friendly tones. Consequently some participants shears a hostile message spoken in a friendly tone and others here the opposite.
Results: when the participants were asked to interpret the messages, they found that the tone of voice has actually five times the effect of the wet verbal message herself.
Conclusion: tone of voice is extremely important in how people interpret verbal messages
A study in postural echo? (McGinley)
Aim: to see the effect of postural echo (mirroring) when having a conversation.
Method: a confederate approached individuals and had a conversation with them. In half of the meetings he echoed the posture of the other person. In the other half he did by. After the individuals were approached by the experimenter and asked what they thought about the confederate.
Results: when the postural echo was used the people said they liked the confederate and thought the hot on well together. The other thought the conversation was awkward and didn’t like the confederate.
Conclusion: postural who gives an unconscious message of friendliness.
A study in open and closed posture? (McGinley ,Levfevre ,McGinley)
Aim: to see the effect of an open or closed posture
When having a conversation.
Method: a confederate of the experimenter approached individuals and had a conversations with them. In half the conversations the confederate adopted a closed posture Ann’s in the others they adopted a open posture. Afterwards the individuals were approached by the examiner and were asked what thy thought of the confederate.
Results: when showing an open posture , the confederate was seen as unfriendly and attractive. When showing a closed posture, the confederate was seen as unfriendly and less attractive.
Conclusion: the posture that someone adopts will make a difference to how much they’re liked.
A study in gesture? (Lynn and Mynier)
Aim: to see the effect gestures used by waiters on the tipping behaviour of customer in a restaurant.
Method: while taking orders from seated customers waiters were told to stand or squat down near the costumer (squatting down makes more eye contact possible)
Results: when the waiters squatted down, larger tips were received compared compared with when they took orders standing upright.
Conclusion: the gesture of squatting down close to a seated costumer to take an order will have a positive effect on tipping behaviour.
Study on touching? (Fisher, Rytting and Heslin)
Aim: to see the effect of touch on people’s attitudes.
Method: Females students were handed books in a library by a librarian. The librarian was a confederate of the experiment. Half the students were briefly touched on the hand when receiving the book off the librarian. The others were not.
Results: when questioned later, the students which have been touched had more of a positive attitude towards the library and the librarian then those who were it touched. The students were by aware
A study in eye contact and the flow of conversation .
Aim: to see how interrupting eye contact affects conversation.
Methods: pairs of participants were observed having a conversations. In half the conversations ,one of the participants wore dark glasses so that the other could not receive eye contact.
Results: when one of the participants wore dark glasses ,there were pauses and interruptions then when dark glasses weren’t worn.
Conclusion: eye contact is important in ensuring the smooth flow of conversation.
Study in pupil dilation (Hess)
Aim: to see the effect of pupil dilation on emotion.
Method: pairs of participants were shown two nearly identical pictures of the same girl and asked which picture was more attractive. The only difference between the pictures was that,in one of them the girls pupils were dilated ,in the other they were not.
Results: the majority of participants said that the picture was more attractive ,when the pupils were dilated. Strangely enough they could not say why they thought that.
Conclusion: pupil dilation has an unconscious but powerful effect on emotion.
Study in the brain and expression?
Sackeim
Aim: to look at the relationship between facial expressions and the hemispheres of the brain.
Method: pictures of people’s faces showing different emotions were cut in half down the middle. New faces were made with each half of the faces mirror image. Then each pair of new faces was shown to participants. They were asked which picture they liked better.
Results: the majority of participants said they preferred the picture of the left face and its reflection. When asked why they said the person looked ‘warmer’.
Conclusion: the left side of the face seems to express emotion much more than the right side.
Personal space study? (Age)
Aim: to see whether age has an effect on personal space.
Method: Willis observed over 800 people in different social settings.
Results: those he observed tended to stand closer to people their own age and further away from people who were either very much older or younger than themselves.
Conclusion: age difference affects how close people stand to one another.
