The socio-emotional basis of human interaction and communication: How we construct our social world

Abstract

A review of dimensional research about (the perception of) feelings, non-verbal and verbal communication, behavior and personality reveals in each domain three very similar dimensions. They originated from diverse research areas, often received different names and are conceptually not identical. Yet, the first dimension seems to share in all five areas a general positive versus negative evaluation (e.g. happiness–disgust or friendliness–hostility), the second a strong versus weak characterization (e.g. anger–fear or dominance–submission) and the third dimension an active versus passive impression (e.g. ecstasy–boredom or high–low arousability). These three dimensions are likely to function as fundamental dimensions of interaction and communication as perceived and enacted by humans of all (investigated) cultures. They are interpreted as a universal socio-emotional space that corresponds to an evolutionary need for coordination between individuals. They are implied in the logic of game, exchange or interdependence theory, and manifest themselves in the cultural meanings predicted by affect control theory. The presented overview and reconstruction combines the largely fragmented views of several diverse research domains into a perspective that fosters interdisciplinary understanding and integrative theory-building about human sociality within and between the social sciences with extensions into the natural sciences and humanities.