| Abstract: | 20 silent 1-min video segments of psychiatric patients ranging in anxiety levels were shown to 46 psychology seniors serving as raters. Results show that raters were able to identify the presence of anxiety and discriminate varying intensities of anxiety on the basis of nonverbal cues alone. Nonverbal cues identified as most salient in communicating anxiety were the hands, eyes, mouth, and torso. Additional microanalysis examined how these body areas cued anxiety. Discussion of nonverbal cues for anxiety is presented in terms of P. Ekman and W. V. Friesen's (1969) theorizing regarding nonverbal masking and leakage. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
