Abstract
As part of a four year study of sex differences in nonverbal communication, videotapes of pairs of graduate students in conversation were examined without sound, first by naive observers judging traits such as warmth and dominance and later by trained movement analysts using a Laban-based rating instrument. A factor analysis of 26 Laban-based movement variables yielded six factors designated Expressiveness-Animation, Reserved-Friendly, Male-Female Presentation, Status, Self-Touch, and Disengagement. These factors are discussed in comparison to those delineated by Mehrabian (1972). Performing step-wise multiple regressions, the naive judgments of Openness for females were predicted by high ratings on the Expressiveness-Animation movement factor and low ratings on the Disengagement factor. The implications of the study for dance therapy and nonverbal communication research are discussed.
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References
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Davis, M., Weitz, S. & Culkin, J. Sex differences in movement style: A multivariate analysis of naive and laban-based ratings. Am J Dance Ther 3, 4–11 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02579614
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02579614