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Power, Dominance, and Nonverbal Behavior: Basic Concepts and Issues

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Power, Dominance, and Nonverbal Behavior

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Social Psychology ((SSSOC))

Abstract

Nonverbal behavior, defined simply, is behavior that is not part of formal, verbal language. In psychological terms, nonverbal behaviors generally refer to facial expressions, body movements, and eye, hand, and feet behaviors that have some significance in social interaction. Philosophers, poets, and writers have long been aware of nonverbal messages—messages communicated without spoken words: “The face is the mirror of the mind and eyes without speaking confess secrets of the heart” (St. Jerome); “Each of our gestures carries the weight of a commitment” (Satre); “For a touch I yield” (Tennyson).

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Authors
  1. Steve L. Ellyson
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  2. John F. Dovidio
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA

    Steve L. Ellyson

  2. Department of Psychology, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, 13346, USA

    John F. Dovidio

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Ellyson, S.L., Dovidio, J.F. (1985). Power, Dominance, and Nonverbal Behavior: Basic Concepts and Issues. In: Ellyson, S.L., Dovidio, J.F. (eds) Power, Dominance, and Nonverbal Behavior. Springer Series in Social Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5106-4_1

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