Nonverbal Behavior and the Vertical Dimension of Social Relations: A Meta-Analysis.

Abstract

The vertical dimension of interpersonal relations (relating to dominance, power, and status) was examined in association with nonverbal behaviors that included facial behavior, gaze, interpersonal distance, body movement, touch, vocal behaviors, posed encoding skill, and others. Results were separately summarized for people's beliefs (perceptions) about the relation of verticality to nonverbal behavior and for actual relations between verticality and nonverbal behavior. Beliefs/perceptions were stronger and much more prevalent than were actual verticality effects. Perceived and actual relations were positively correlated across behaviors. Heterogeneity was great, suggesting that verticality is not a psychologically uniform construct in regard to nonverbal behavior. Finally, comparison of the verticality effects to those that have been documented for gender in relation to nonverbal behavior revealed only a limited degree of parallelism.

Squeezed in the middle: The middle status trade creativity for focus.

“…Furthermore, though power and status are distinct constructs (Emerson, 1962;Fiske, 2010;Goldhamer & Shils, 1939;Hall et al, 2005;Henrich & Gil-White, 2001;Ridgeway & Walker, 1995;Sachdev & Bourhis, 1985) in real world settings it is likely that power and status will be highly correlated McGuire, Brammer, & Raleigh, 1986).…”

Can you trust a customer's expression? Insights into nonverbal communication in the retail context

“…Nonverbal behavior may serve several functions, including providing information, regulating interactions, expressing intimacy, and exerting social control (Patterson, 1982). More than 15 separate meta-analyses in psychology and related fields in the past decade have documented pertinent research (e.g., DePaulo et al, 2003;Elfenbein & Eisenkraft, 2010;Hall, Coats, & LeBeau, 2005;Riggio & Riggio, 2002).…”

“…A distinctive pattern of nonverbal behaviors characterizes high-status persons. A recent meta-analysis of this research stream identified facial expressiveness, greater bodily openness, and smaller interpersonal distances as behaviors that are characteristic of higher status persons (Hall, Coats, & LeBeau, 2005). From a complementarity perspective, customers' politeness behavior should be associated with salespeople's high-status behaviors (or retail atmosphere cues), in which case politeness behavior by the customer might be obscuring his or her true feelings from the retailer or salesperson.…”

The cultural neuroscience of person perception

“…Because many cultures are organized by social hierarchy, others' social status affords perceivers valuable information and determines behavioral consequences. It is cued by signals of dominance (marking higher status) and signals of subordination (marking lower status), which are conveyed effortlessly by bodily expressions (Hall et al, 2005). Although these cues are recognized with considerable consistency across cultures (e.g., Bridge et al, 2007), cultures can greatly differ in how they assign value to these cues.…”

“…Beyond recognizing others' emotions, we often see their social status as well, as it is readily revealed by the face and body (Hall et al, 2005). Because many cultures are organized by social hierarchy, others' social status affords perceivers valuable information and determines behavioral consequences.…”