Nonverbal Communication and the Skills of Effective Mediators: Developing Rapport, Building Trust, and Displaying Professionalism

Abstract

This thesis explores the phenomenon of nonverbal communication, investigating how mediators use nonverbal communication to develop rapport, build trust, and display professionalism. A review of the literature identified that these three macro level skills make major contributions to mediator effectiveness and also revealed a gap in knowledge regarding how the specific micro actions contribute to effectiveness. The findings of this thesis demonstrate that these skills rely primarily on micro nonverbal communication cues (nonverbal actions) and elements (room arrangement and the mediator’s appearance for example). Three studies were conducted as part of this program of research, connecting these specific micro nonverbal communication cues and elements and the three macro skills identified above. For the purpose of systematically examining each of the micro nonverbal cues and their elements, the METTA acronym (movement, environment, touch, tone, and appearance) was created and applied throughout the research studies