Social Perception

Non-verbal communication

How people communicate, intentionally or unintentionally, without words– Facial expression– Tone of voice– Hand gestures– Body position/posture– Touch– Eye gaze

Functions of NVC– Express emotion– Conveying attitudes– Communicating

one’s personality traits

– Facilitating verbal communication

Popularity of NVC in “pop-psychology”

Does NVC vary across cultures?

Yes, in two respects1. Emblems—gestures of hand

and arms2. display rules

One area in which NVC does not vary across cultures: facial expression of emotion

Charles Darwin: The expression of emotions in man and animals (1872)– Concluded that NVC of emotional were

species-specific, not cultural-specific

factors that can decrease accuracy in face perception

Intentional efforts to conceal emotions– Richards & Gross (1999)

Consequences

Display rulesAffect blends/ambiguity

Gender and NVCWomen more accurate at detecting

NVC when the person is telling the truth– One exception to this rule: detection of

lyingTheoretical explanation

– Social role theory (Eagly, 1987)– Two sources of converging evidence

Cross-cultural work (Hall, 1978) Experimental research (Snodgrass, 1985, 1992)

Snodgrass, 1985 males and females assigned to superior (boss) vs.

inferior (employee) roles Four type of dyads DV: accuracy in reading partner’s emotions Results:

– Gender makes absolutely no difference!– All driven by role: employee always more accurate than

boss– Converges on non-laboratory approach by Hall (1978)

Implicit personality theories

Inferences about “unseen” traits

Olivia

intelligent

+

attractive

+ honest(inferred)

False memories

Surprise at inconsistency/attempts to reconcile

Olivia

intelligent

+

attractive

+ Dishonest*(--)

*violates implicit personality theory; could lead to

•Attempt to reinterpret

•Attribute to situational forces

•Forgetting

•Change implicit theory (unlikely, but possible)

Evaluatively mixed

representations

Jack

Artistic (painter)(++)

Temperamental(--)

Disorganized (--)

Culture and implicit personality theories

Creative (Western cultures)Shi Gu (China)

Interesting issue—due to – Language, or– Reality?