Reading nonverbal cues to emotions: The advantages and liabilities of relationship closeness

Author(s)

Weylin R. Sternglanz, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
B.M. DePaulo

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Nonverbal Behavior

ISSN

0191-5886

Publication Date

1-1-2004

Abstract

Accuracy at reading nonverbal cues to emotions was examined for close friends, less close friends, and strangers. Forty-eight senders were videotaped talking about an experience during which they felt either very happy, very sad, or very angry. Half of the time they expressed their emotion clearly, and half of the time they concealed their emotion. Forty-eight judges watched these tapes without sound and attempted to identify the senders emotions. Each judge watched a videotape of both a platonic friend and a stranger. Overall, friends were more accurate than strangers at identifying the senders emotions, however, less close friends were better than closer friends at correctly judging concealed sadness and anger. In discussing these findings, we consider models of motivated inaccuracy, accommodatingness, and emotions as calls to action.

DOI

10.1007/s10919-004-4158-7

Volume

28

First Page

245

Last Page

266

NSUWorks Citation

Sternglanz, W. R., DePaulo, B. (2004). Reading nonverbal cues to emotions: The advantages and liabilities of relationship closeness. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 28, 245-266.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/1194