Nonverbal signals speak up: Association between perceptual nonverbal dominance and emotional intelligence

Abstract

Emotional communication uses verbal and nonverbal means. In case of conflicting signals, nonverbal information is assumed to have a stronger impact. It is unclear, however, whether perceptual nonverbal dominance varies between individuals and whether it is linked to emotional intelligence. Using audiovisual stimulus material comprising verbal and nonverbal emotional cues that were varied independently, perceptual nonverbal dominance profiles and their relations to emotional intelligence were examined. Nonverbal dominance was found in every participant, ranging from 55 to 100%. Moreover, emotional intelligence, particularly the ability to understand emotions, correlated positively with nonverbal dominance. Furthermore, higher overall emotional intelligence as well as a higher ability to understand emotions were linked to smaller reaction time differences between emotionally incongruent and congruent stimuli. The association between perceptual nonverbal dominance and emotional intelligence, and more specifically the ability to understand emotions, might reflect an adaptive process driven by the experience of higher authenticity in nonverbal cues.

Keywords:

• Emotional incongruence
• Emotional intelligence
• Facial expression
• Nonverbal dominance
• Prosody
• Understanding emotions

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the German Research Foundation (DFG; SFB 550 B10) for supporting this study.

Notes

¹The current study used only six sentences, however, with regard to stimulus material of future studies, we pre-tested actor portrayals of seven further sentences.

²The current study used only six sentences, however, with regard to stimulus material of future studies, we pre-tested actor portrayals of four further sentences.