Nonverbal communication as a function of attribution in impression formation

Abstract

Arguing that the function of nonverbal cues in social communication can be elucidated within an impression formation paradigm, this study tested two hypotheses. The first predicted that the dominant role of nonverbal cues in social exchange is restricted primarily to the attribution of attitudes and affect toward others. The second hypothesis predicted that if subjects were instructed to focus on either the person or the message in making their judgments of what was being communicated, they would discriminate between judgments of the speaker and of the speaker's explicitly staled message when the verbal and nonverbal cues were inconsistent. Clear support for the first hypothesis and partial support for the second were interpreted as suggesting that nonverbal cues in social communication are mediated through attributions concerning the character and intentions of the communicator.