Studies of nonverbal behavior: An evaluation and recommendation

The current status of the research about nonverbal behavior is disappointing. The authors critically examine fourteen representative studies and identify three compelling conceptual problems: inadequate grounding of studies; insufficient justification for procedures; and an outdated perspective on theory‐building, Further, the authors specify implications and solutions for these weaknesses. A new framework for the development of theories about nonverbal behavior is proposed and explicated. Three distinct but interrelated positions are involved: personal construct theory; the action/ movement distinction; and the perspective on rules.