Visual Nonverbal Cues Research Articles

From classroom to Zoom room: Exploring instructor modifications of visual nonverbal behaviors in synchronous online classrooms

ABSTRACT Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for a full academic year, Zoom rooms became classrooms for synchronous online learning at schools and universities across the world. This shift in learning space required instructors to adopt new patterns of instructional communication. Grounded in research in instructional proxemics and learning spaces, this study explores the ways that classroom instructors modified, altered, or transformed their nonverbal behaviors in the context of a digitally mediated, synchronous learning environment created through the Zoom platform. Using a survey of instructors, this study explores instructor self-reports of visual nonverbal cues evident in the typical Zoom frame: proxemics, kinesics, physical appearance, artifacts, and facial expression. Through an analysis of themes present in the data, this study identified four common themes in instructor modifications illustrative of our attention (or inattention) to nonverbal behaviors in synchronous, digitally mediated spaces of learning: animating, replicating, reciprocating, and self-monitoring. The study discusses implications of these themes for instructional practices based on instructor reflection on and application of nonverbal behaviors in synchronous online learning spaces.

Interactivity in online chat: Conversational cues and visual cues in the service recovery process

Use of both verbal and nonverbal cues in computer-mediated communication can influence customers’ perceptions and their behavioral intentions. Drawing on the compensation effect theory, this study investigates how verbal and nonverbal cues used by customer service agents during online service recovery processes affect customers’ perceptions of service chat agents’ warmth and competence and their willingness to cooperate with a service agent to complete the service recovery process. A 2 (message interactivity cues: high vs. low) × 2 (visual cues: high vs. low) between-subjects experimental design is utilized to identify the main and interaction effects of verbal and visual nonverbal cues used in online communications on customers attitudes and behaviors. Results show that use of verbal cues leads to higher perception of a chat agent’s competence, but lower perception of a chat agent’s warmth while use of visual nonverbal cues results in higher warmth perceptions but lower competence perceptions. The interaction effect of verbal and visual nonverbal cues indicates that visual nonverbal cues have a compensatory effect on message interactivity and vice versa, such that customer-perceived warmth and competence are prone to trade-offs between verbal cues and visual nonverbal cues. Furthermore, perceived warmth and competence mediate the indirect effects of verbal and nonverbal cues on customers’ cooperation intentions. Theoretical and practical implications of use of verbal and nonverbal cues during online communications in service recovery processes are discussed.

A Telephone Communication Skills Exercise for Veterinary Students: Experiences, Challenges, and Opportunities.

Evidence from human medicine shows a rise in telephone communication in support of after-hours services and in providing medical advice, follow-up information, etc. While specific training programs are continuously being developed for human medical education, limited publications are available on training veterinary students in telephone communication. Presented is our method of introducing a telephone communication skills exercise to third-year veterinary students. The exercise progressed over three phases and currently follows the principles of the Calgary-Cambridge Guide. Challenges and improvements on implementing a telephone communication exercise are discussed. Within veterinary communication curricula, attention should be given to the specific communication skills required for successful telephone consultations. In the absence of visual nonverbal cues and prompts during a telephone interaction, communication skills must be applied with greater intent and attention to achieve an effective consultation outcome.

Keeping Control: The Importance of Nonverbal Expressions of Power by Organizational Spokespersons in Times of Crisis

This paper examines the impact of nonverbal expressions of power by organizational spokespersons during different crisis stages. Study 1 investigates how vocal nonverbal cues express power during crises and how this affects perceptions of spokespersons. The results illustrate that a spokesperson who speaks with a lowered voice pitch, which expresses power, appears more competent than one with a raised voice pitch. Study 2 examines the moderating influence of crisis stage on the impact of visual nonverbal cues. During a crisis, powerful nonverbal behaviors minimize reputational damage through an increase in perceived competence of the spokesperson. In the aftermath of a crisis, powerless nonverbal behaviors positively affect the organizational reputation through an intermediate effect on perceived sincerity of the spokesperson.

Videophone to improve communication between intellectual handicapped and their relatives

The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of a videophone by people with an intellectual handicap and their relatives at a healthcare organisation in the Netherlands. A triangulation of methods is used. The first method was a questionnaire (pre-study) were 195 clients and 439 client representatives participated in a satisfaction survey from the healthcare organisation. Out of this satisfaction survey, approximately 30% (N = 116 out of N = 374 reactions) identified concerns related to communication. Secondly, a literature study was carried out using Pubmed database. Eleven publications were selected. Finally, based on the pre-study and the literature an experiment was performed in which the videophone was evaluated. Two clients and two relatives used the videophone for approximately two months. The data supported the use of the videophone with intellectual handicapped and their relatives to improve communication. The addition of visual non-verbal cues and the fixed place of the videophone enhanced social presence, the concentration, the duration and the quality of the conversation. In general, the videophone was easy to use, but the sound and screen quality of the videophone could be improved to support communication.

Nonverbal Dominance Versus Verbal Accuracy in Lie Detection

With the exclusion of some specific circumstances, police officers typically pay more attention to nonverbal behavior than verbal behavior when they attempt to detect deceit. One of the reasons for this is that they believe that suspects are less able to control their nonverbal than verbal behavior and, consequently, nonverbal cues to deception are more likely to leak through. The author states that this assumption is not necessarily valid; deception research has revealed that many verbal cues are more diagnostic cues to deceit than nonverbal cues. Paying attention to nonverbal cues results in being less accurate in truth/lie discrimination, particularly when only visual nonverbal cues are taken into account. Also, paying attention to visual nonverbal cues leads to a stronger lie bias (i.e., indicating that someone is lying). The author recommends a change in police practice and argues that for lie detection purposes it may be better to listen carefully to what suspects say.

Viewer perception of visual nonverbal cues in subtitled TV Anime1

The article discusses the results of a questionnaire into viewer perception of subtitled culturally marked visual nonverbal cues in TV anime using the series (Doki-doki School Hours). Two groups of students were used for the study, one Japanese learner group, and one non-Japanese speaker group. A smaller study was also carried out using an eye-tracking monitor to gain insights into non-Japanese speakers' visual attention to visual nonverbal cues. The anime genre is one of the few forms of animation that is as often, if not more often, subtitled as dubbed. Online surveys have shown a preference among anime fans for subtitling over dubbing (Igarashi, 2007). The abundance of on-screen information adds to this genre's suitability for study into viewer perception of nonverbal cues and the effectiveness of the translation strategies used to tackle them.

Sources of accuracy in the empathic accuracy paradigm.

In the empathic accuracy paradigm, perceivers make inferences about the naturalistically occurring thoughts and feelings of stimulus persons, and these inferences are scored for accuracy against the stimulus persons' self-reported thoughts and feelings. The present study investigated sources of accuracy in this paradigm by presenting the stimulus tape in several cue modalities (full video, audio, transcript, or silent video) and with differing instructions (infer thoughts and feelings, infer thoughts, or infer feelings). Verbal information contributed the most to accuracy, followed by vocal nonverbal cues. Visual nonverbal cues contributed the least, though still at levels above zero. When asked to infer feelings, perceivers appeared to shift attention toward visual nonverbal cues and away from verbal cues, and the reverse occurred when they were asked to infer thoughts. The study contributes to understanding of factors contributing to accuracy in the empathic accuracy paradigm.

Recall of Nonverbal Cues: Exploring a New Definition of Interpersonal Sensitivity

Interpersonal sensitivity, defined as the accurate recall of another person’s nonverbal behavior, was measured in two studies. In Study 1, nonverbal recall accuracy (NRA) was based on recall of cues expressed by a man and/or woman being interviewed on videotape. Retest reliability after 2 weeks was satisfactory and the male and female tests demonstrated sufficient convergence. Participants could assess their own recall accuracy at better than chance levels; ability to decode the meanings of visual nonverbal cues was positively related to NRA; discriminant validity of NRA was demonstrated with regard to general cognitive ability; and women had higher NRA than men. In Study 2, NRA was based on recall of a live interaction partner. Women again had higher NRA than men; NRA was significantly better than chance; and higher NRA was associated with more smiling and self-reported positive affect during the interaction. Nonverbal recall accuracy is a promising new definition of interpersonal sensitivity.

BELIEFS ABOUT CUES TO DECEPTION: MINDLESS STEREOTYPES OR UNTAPPED WISDOM?

In this longitudinal study, senders told truths and lies to same-sex friends (judges) at both one month and six months into the relationship. Judges guessed whether the stories were truths or lies, and described the cues they used to make their decisions. These cues were coded into categories according to the nature of the cue (verbal, visual, or paralinguistic). Judges mentioned more verbal cues when the story was truthful than when it was fabricated, and mentioned more visual nonverbal cues when it was fabricated than when it was truthful. Therefore, perceivers' stated beliefs about cues discriminated the truths from the lies, although their explicit judgments of deceptiveness did not. Perceivers who mentioned visual or verbal cues more often were not more accurate at detecting deception (explicitly), but those who mentioned paralinguistic cues more often were more accurate.

Interpersonal Sensitivity and Skills in Decoding Nonverbal Channels: The Value of Face Value

The relationship between skills at decoding nonverbal cues in the visual versus audio channels and the ability to sense variation in how someone feels about you during a specific interaction was examined. Results suggested that greater skill at decoding visual nonverbal cues may actually detract from sensitivity to another person's feelings. However, greater skill at decoding audio cues seemed especially valuable to sensitivity to whether someone feels liked by you, whereas it is irrelevant to the assessment of whether someone likes you. The differences in these relationships was discussed in light of one's desire to hide one's true feelings and one's desire to be liked.

Telling ingratiating lies: effects of target sex and target attractiveness on verbal and nonverbal deceptive success.

Male and female "senders" described their opinions on four controversial issues to target persons. Each sender expressed sincere agreement with the target on one of the issues and sincere disagreement on another (truthful messages), and also pretended to agree with the partner on one of the issues (an ingratiating lie) and pretended to disagree on another (a noningratiating lie). Groups of judges then rated the sincerity of each message on the basis of information available from one of four different channels: verbal (words only, in transcript form), audio (audiotape only), visual (videotape with no sound), and audiovisual (videotape with sound). Results showed that (a) lies told by women were more readily detected than lies told by men, (b) lies told to opposite-sex targets were more easily detected than lies to same-sex targets, and (c) ingratiating lies were more successfully detected than were noningratiating lies, particularly when told to attractive targets. Furthermore, when senders talked to opposite-sex (relative to same-sex) targets, their lies were most easily detected from the three channels that included nonverbal cues. For ingratiating (relative to noningratiating) lies, detectability was greatest for the channels that included visual nonverbal cues. Senders addressing attractive targets were perceived as less sincere than senders addressing unattractive targets, both when lying and when telling the truth, and this difference in the degree of sincerity conveyed was especially pronounced in the channels that included nonverbal cues. Results are discussed in terms of the effects of motivation on verbal and nonverbal communicative success.