Non-Verbal Communication and Body Language

Broadly construed, communication includes both the sending and receiving of information over distances in space and/or time. Research examining the nonverbal aspects of interpersonal communication has flourished in recent years. This has occurred, in part, due to technological advances that make it possible for researchers to more precisely pinpoint the mechanisms by which cues in the face and body convey meaningful information to observers.

Non-Verbal Communication and Body Language provides an overview of current research that examines the mechanisms of nonverbal communication. The readings emphasize processes related to visual communication, including both the encoding (i.e., production) and decoding (i.e., perception) of cues that convey messages to others. Thus, this collection aims to provide a review of research that helps us understand how interpersonal messages are sent by face and body cues. The selections in this book are organized in ten sections and include theoretical reviews, empirical journal articles, and popular science coverage for a range of topics relevant to nonverbal communication.

Kerri L. Johnson (Ph.D., Cornell University) is a faculty member in the departments of Communication Studies and Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research examines how nonverbal cues in the face and body convey aspects of identity (e.g., sex, race, age, and sexual orientation) to observers. Her teaching includes courses in Nonverbal Communication, Negotiation, and Social Vision.