New Handbook of Methods in Nonverbal Behavior Research »

For many years the Handbook of Methods in Nonverbal Behavior Research (Scherer & Ekman, 1982) has been an invaluable text for researchers looking for methods to study nonverbal behavior and the expression of affect. A successor to this essential text, The New Handbook of Methods in Nonverbal Behavior Research includes chapters on coding and methodological issues for a variety of areas in nonverbal behavior: facial actions, vocal behavior, and body movement. Issues relevant to judgment studies, methodology, reliability, analyses, etc. have also been updated. The topics are broad and include specific information about methodology and coding strategies in education, psychotherapy, deception, nonverbal sensitivity, and marital and group behavior. There is also a chapter detailing specific information on the technical aspects of recording the voice and face, and specifically in relation to deception studies.

This volume will be valuable for both new researchers and those already working in the fields of nonverbal behavior, affect expression, and related topics. It will play a central role in further refining research methods and coding strategies, allowing a comparison of results from various laboratories where research on nonverbal behavior is being conducted. This will advance research in the field and help to coordinate results so that a more comprehensive understanding of affect expression can be developed.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Christopher J. Graver, PhD(Madigan Army Medical Center)
Description:This book provides information regarding the research methodology used to study nonverbal behaviors. It reviews basic methodology and procedures in nonverbal research, covers research applications, and provides supplementary materials.
Purpose:It is intended to update the original version published in 1982 and review the burgeoning literature on the topic. It also is intended to provide information that will enhance the efficiency, reliability, and comparability of nonverbal behavioral research across disciplines. The authors hope that this book will help spur the development of theories to better understand nonverbal behavior and its role in our lives. This edition contains significantly more information and is worth updating from the original.
Audience:According to the authors, the book is intended for both novice and seasoned researchers in nonverbal behavior, affect expression, and related areas. This also would be appropriate for graduate students in psychology and related fields (e.g., anthropology, sociology, linguistics, and education). The contributing authors represent a diverse international collection of well-known researchers, including John Gottman and Paul Eckman, among others.
Features:The book covers a wide variety of topics related to nonverbal research, including facial action, vocal expressions, and proxemics and kinesics. The relationships between nonverbal behaviors and interpersonal sensitivity, psychopathology, and deception also are broached. In addition, basic methodologies are covered and technological issues related to recording nonverbal behaviors are addressed. The book uses a small font, making it somewhat tiring to read, but the information is top-drawer. Thankfully, the text is broken up with useful illustrations and figures that help to demonstrate complex concepts. In addition, the chapters are generally broken up into small sections, making them somewhat easier to read. A definite strength of this book is the inclusion of practical suggestions for conducting this research that will hopefully increase the consistency and quality of future studies. Unfortunately, the coverage of clinical applications with psychopathology is the least extensive in the book.
Assessment:This is a dense and complex book not intended for the casual reader. For those seriously involved in nonverbal research, however, it provides a wealth of information regarding past research, current trends, and future directions. The authors have set out with a lofty goal of enhancing multidisciplinary communication and improving the efficiency, reliability, and comparability of nonverbal research across areas of study. Only time will tell if they have achieved this goal, but from the first reading, the book provides a solid foundation.

Introduction, Jinni A Harrigan, Robert Rosenthal & Klaus R Scherer
Basic Research Methods and Procedures
2. Facial actions, Jeffrey F Cohn & Paul Ekman
3. Vocal expression of affect, Patrik N Juslin & Klaus R Scherer
4. Proxemics, kinesics and gaze, Jinni A Harrigan
5. Conducting judgment studies: some methodological issues, Robert Rosenthal
Research Applications in Nonverbal Behavior
6. Nonverbal behavior and interpersonal sensitivity, Judith A Hall, Frank J Bernieri & Dana R Carney
7. Nonverbal behavior in education, Elisha Babad
8. Nonverbal behavior and psychopathology, Ann Kring & Barbara K Stuart
9. Research methods in detecting deception research, Mark G Frank
10. Nonverbal communication coding systems of committed couples, Dan Yoshimoto, Alyson Shapiro, Kelly O'Brien & John Gottman
11. Macrovariables in affective expression in women with breast cancer participating in support groups, Janine Giese-Davis, Karen Piemme, Caroline Dillon & Suzanne Twirbutt
Supplemental Materials
12. Technical issues in recording nonverbal behavior, Mark G Frank, Patrik N Juslin & Jinni A Harrigan
Appendix: Methodological issues in studying nonverbal behavior, Klaus R Scherer & Paul Ekman