Bodily Communication

Non-verbal communication - the eye movements, facial expressions, tone of voice, postures and gestures that we all use more or less consciously and more or less effectively - can enhance or diminish every form of social interaction. Michael Argyle's second edition of Bodily Communication is an invaluable up-to-date guide for students of the subject. In the last ten years NVC has become recognized as an important part of social psychology and of professional training, particularly in social work, education and management. Greatly expanded from the first edition, and significantly revised, this second edition has two completely new chapters on social skills and personality, and a new chapter on research methods. The author, a pioneer in the study of non-verbal communication, presents the second edition in the same accessible style as the first, bringing to the reader both his intense interest in the subject and his authoritative knowledge of it.

Michael Argyle is Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Wolfson College.

Introduction. How to Do Research on Non-verbal Communication. Non-verbal Communication in Animals. Cultural Differences in Bodily Communication. The Expression of Emotion. Interpersonal Attitudes. Non-verbal Communication and Speech. Facial Expression. Non-verbal Vocalizations. Gaze. Spatial Behaviour. Gestures and Other Bodily Movements. Posture. Touch and Bodily Contact. Clothes, Physique, and Other Aspects of Appearance. Social Skills, Persuasion, and Politics. Personality and NVC. The Explanation of Bodily Communication. Beyond Language.