Nonverbal Behavior

The Nonverbal Communication Book

A series of essays, written by experts from around the world, on the role of nonverbal behavior in everyday social interaction. Among the topics addressed are nonverbal expressiveness in families, television viewing and nonverbal behavior, emotional mimicry, culture and nonverbal behavior, power, smiling and gender, children's use of nonverbal behavior; nonverbal interactions with friends, relatives and strangers, nonverbal behavior as a social interaction facilitator, the role of nonverbal behavior in close relationships, and how nonverbal behavior reveals deception.

This volume provides a broad and comprehensive overview of current theory and research in the field of nonverbal behavior and details the major contemporary research areas within it. The contributions, written by prominent researchers in this area of study, consider nonverbal behavior from a broad perspective, focusing on the fundamental psychological processes that underlie the phenomenon. Several meanings of nonverbal behavior are employed throughout the volume and the contributors, whose work represents disparate research traditions and methodologies, consider biological and neuropsychological approaches, cognitive processes, gestures, facial expressions, and other symbolic behavior. The papers are united by a shared conviction that nonverbal behavior represents an important phenomenon with implications both for people's understanding of their own phenomenological and emotional worlds and for the nature of their social interactions with others.

This book examines state-of-the-art research and knowledge regarding nonverbal behaviour and applies that scientific knowledge to a broad range of fields. It presents a true scientist-practitioner model, blending cutting-edge behavioural science with real-world practical experience.

This volume presents, in an integrated framework, contemporary perspectives on the role of nonverbal behavior in psychological regulation, adaptation, and psychopathology, and includes both empirical and theoretical research that is central to our understanding of the reciprocal influences between nonverbal behavior, psychopathology, and therapeutic processes. It has several objectives: One is to present fundamental theories and data relevant to researchers and clinicians working in such fields as psychopathology and psychotherapy. Another objective is to link contributions of basic research to clinical applications. Finally, the volume gathers contributions in different sub-fields that are rarely presented jointly, such as brain damage and non-verbal skills.

This volume presents, in an integrated framework, contemporary perspectives on the role of nonverbal behavior in psychological regulation, adaptation, and psychopathology, and includes both empirical and theoretical research that is central to our understanding of the reciprocal influences between nonverbal behavior, psychopathology, and therapeutic processes. It has several objectives: One is to present fundamental theories and data relevant to researchers and clinicians working in such fields as psychopathology and psychotherapy. Another objective is to link contributions of basic research to clinical applications. Finally, the volume gathers contributions in different sub-fields that are rarely presented jointly, such as brain damage and non-verbal skills.

The present volume is an excellent introduction to the study of human nonverbal communication, including interaction and gesture, for students and specialists in other disciplines, as well as a convenient compilation of significant contributions to the field for experts. Part 1 includes four articles, the import of which is primarily theoretical or methodological. Part II comprises eight articles in which instances of interaction are examined and attempts are made to explain how the behavior that can be observed in them functions in the interaction process. Part III presents six articles on what may broadly be referred to as 'gesture'. These articles deal with specific actions, mostly of the forelimbs, which are usually deemed to have specific communicational significance. In an introductory chapter, the volume editor, Adam Kendon, not only examines the various issues raised by the eighteen papers but also shows the relevance of each article as a contribution to the development of an understanding of how human visible behavior functions communicatively.