| Credits | 1 |
| Restrictions | No 2022 2021 2020 Open to first-years only |
| Pre-Requisites | |
| Co-Requisites | |
| Core Area | Sciences |
| Area of Inquiry | |
| Liberal Arts Practices |
Faculty Profile for Professor Keating
Reading People: The Art & Science of Nonverbal Communication
Despite our very human way with words, much interpersonal communication flows through nonverbal channels. Facial gestures, gaze patterns, postures, vocal pitch and tone, touch and interpersonal distance, scents and odors, and even static, morphological structures of face and body channel crucial information about individual qualities and intentions. These messaging systems strongly influence how individuals "read" and respond to one another. However powerful, nonverbal cues can be difficult to precisely identify and measure. For example, perceivers attribute age, social status, sex, and even beauty at a glance, but which cues enable this, how, and why? Are emotions expressed the same way in every culture? Why are nonverbal first impressions so impactful; what makes them so “sticky?” Is there a nonverbal formula for charisma? If humans are so sensitive to nonverbal cues, why are they such poor lie detectors? These and other questions are probed by exploring the scientific literature on nonverbal communication and by conducting research designed to test some of its theoretical models. Students who successfully complete this seminar will satisfy the Scientific Perspective core requirement.
Dr. Caroline (Carrie) Keating investigates the skills, traits, and motives associated with social dominance, leadership, and charisma. She teaches seminars in leadership, social bonds, cross-cultural human development, and nonverbal communication.