"Are You Kidding Me?": The role of nonverval cues in the verbal accounting process

Abstract

This article reports on an investigation of 78 interactions for the messages sent by nonverbal cues in account sequences. Account elicitations and evaluations were rated based on vocal and facial behaviors communicating five messages: (a) positive or negative affect, (b) certainty or uncertainty, (c) understanding or confusion, (d) aggreement or disagreement, and (e) belief or disbelief. We also coded the accounters' discourse that followed elicitaions and evaluations to investigate the relationship between nonverbal messages and the account forms used by the teller. Our results showed that, even when controlling for what a person said, the messages sent by nonverbal cues could all predict subsequent account forms, although not always in the way, expected. These results help our argument that nonverbal cues may be an important part of moving through account sequences, both on their own and when combined with verbal utterances.