Nonverbal Expressions of Liking and Disliking in Initial Interaction: Encoding and Decoding Perspectives

This experiment investigated nonverbal behaviors associated with the encoding and decoding of liking and disliking in initial interaction. Forty-eight adults interacted with participant confederates in an 8-minute problem-solving activity. Beginning at the midpoint of the activity, confederates were instructed to communicate, through nonverbal channels, that they either really liked or really disliked their partners. Kinesic and vocalic behaviors were measured to allow for examination of the encoding patterns chosen to communicate these messages. Participants and third-party observers provided their perceptions of confederates and their behaviors, to allow for examination of the behaviors that were decoded as expressions of liking and disliking. Results of this study allowed the examination of the simultaneous encoding and decoding of nonverbal behaviors, the precise measurement of vocalic behaviors, and a clarification of nonverbal behaviors most influential in reaching judgments of liking and disliking.