Larry R. Honl

Date of Award

8-1-1984

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Management

Abstract

Problem. The problem of this study was to determine if a specific training program in nonverbal facial communication for business communications students affects their sensitivity to nonverbal facial cues. A secondary problem was to determine if there was a difference between those groups trained in nonverbal facial communication and their sensitivity to para-language and kinesics (areas that received no formal training) and groups who received no such formal training.

Procedures. The study was conducted during the second semester of the 1982-83 school year. The study involved eight business communication classes, four teachers, and two post-secondary schools.

Of the 202 students who participated in the study, 111 were males and 91 were females. The 110 control students were administered the Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity Test (PONS) as a pretest and a posttest. The experimental groups were also given the pretest and posttest along with three 45-minute training sessions in nonverbal facial communication.

The data collected from the 220-point PONS pretest and posttest were analyzed using analysis of variance and analysis of covariance. Data collected on a self-ranking score was analyzed using the Spearman Correlation Coefficient.

Conclusions. The following conclusions are based on the findings which were presented in chapter 4. (1) It can be concluded that when using the methodology, materials, and population of this study that students trained in nonverbal facial communication showed no significant difference in their sensitivity to kinesic and facial nonverbal cues. (2) It can be concluded that when using the methodology, materials, and population of this study that no matter how a student ranked him/herself in decoding nonverbal cues, he/she did not perform significantly better than those who did not rank themselves as high in decoding nonverbal cues. (3) It can be concluded that when using the methodology, materials, and population of this study that males and females trained in nonverbal facial communication improved significantly in their ability to decode paralanguage cues. (4) It can be concluded that when using the methodology, materials, and population of this study that there was no significant relationship between the ranked scores in sensitivity to nonverbal cues and the PONS posttest scores.

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