Participant observation and author introspection were used to collect data in this study of nonverbal communication among Italian Americans in three large American cities. Discussion is given to kinesics (gestures and signs), haptics (touch), proxemics (interiors of homes, exteriors of homes, and spatial arrangements at a wedding dinner), and…

Concludes that in the laboratory, participants' conversation behavior is not discernably affected by videotaping, no matter how overt or obvious the taping procedure is. Study focuses on behaviors out of conscious awareness: gestures, head nods, speaking turns, self or object manipulations, and shifts to reclining posture or to forward lean. (PD)

Analyzed observational data on nonverbal behavior in small groups to assess whether such behavior significantly changed within or across group meetings. Results showed that kinesic limb movements, posture, eye contact, and body orientation significantly changed across five group sessions. Discussion relates results of nonverbal behavioral changes…

A study of randomly selected "Donahue" shows revealed how host Phil Donahue interacts with several parties at one time and how he subordinates various interactions to suit the hierarchy of importance he attributes to each party, with the television viewer being the most important. Donahue organizes his body movement mainly for television…

It was hypothesized that the perception of the nonverbal behavior of the teacher held by the student may differ from the perception held by an outside observer. This study was designed to compare participant and nonparticipant observers' perception of teacher nonverbal behavior as having encouraging or discouraging affect qualities during a…

Explores the relationship between scientists' orientation to one another and to an experimental apparatus, analyzing as data a videotaped authentic interaction among co-workers in a chemistry laboratory. Demonstrates how the scientists display systematic orientation to the apparatus as their common spatial point of reference and the physical…

The exploration of movement as it reveals the subconscious and subjective side of individuals is described to illustrate a method of psychological inquiry known as phenomenology. Spontaneous, improvised dance performed by two different couples was video-taped and analyzed. The couples, a man and woman in a courting relationship and two women in a…

The reactions of participants to the presentation sessions of a staff development training program were assessed using participant questionnaires and non-verbal metabehavior estimates of participant attitudes. Fifty reading specialists and administrators participated in a two-session workshop dealing with reading material and methods. Each session…

A systematic procedure for obtaining objective data of nonverbal teaching behaviors focusing on specific behaviors is presented. Teacher behaviors, recorded on video-tape, are studied and evaluated for the following nonverbal behaviors: (1) use of proximity control in maintaining discipline; (2) emphasis on the need for eye contact as a speaker;…

The present study explored the effect of verbal dissembling on nonverbal behavior. Subjects were 146 females who were led to be either truthful or deceptive verbally to a confederate. The underlying affective state of the subjects and the publicness of the interaction between subject and confederate were also varied experimentally. The nonverbal…

An analysis of the kinds and uses of laughter in five adult introductory foreign language classes is presented. The importance of this form of nonverbal communication in the teaching situation is examined in the context of classroom ritual's effects on learners' nonverbal behavior. (MSE)

Body movements and facial expressions of males and females in a restaurant setting were examined, with the goal of providing differences in frequency as a function of age and sex. The subjects (N-197 males and N=131 females) were seated in three Seattle fast food restaurants and were selected on a semi-random basis and then observed for three…

This paper, presented at the April 1976 meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, reports part of an ongoing study of psychiatric interviews at Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital in Philadelphia. Faculty from the Department of Mental Health Sciences are videotaped in initial evaluative interviews with clients who volunteer from the…

Study of the relationship between differences in deaf haptic behavior and level of individual's language skill. Two types of haptic behavior were distinguished: self-directed and interpersonal. The communicative role of haptic behavior varies according to age and spoken language skills. (Author/LMO)

Attempts to demonstrate how recipient design can structure an interaction. Choices of words and phrases, intonation, and the larger structure of the discourse itself are all made with a greater or lesser awareness of others' reactions. Evidence of how recipient design is at the service of altercasting is found in shared knowledge, agreement, and…