The purpose of this dissertation was to estimate the extent to which group-level synchrony predicts specific group outcomes. Synchrony is broadly defined as the coordination of biological and behavioral processes during social contact (Feldman, 2017). In this dissertation, biological coordination is defined as, “the spontaneous synchronization of physiological signals (e.g.,...
Naturally, we may assume that group rapport is critical for producing high-quality group performance (such as among work groups, sports teams, or even research collaborators). With this in mind, the purpose of this investigation was to test this assumption by exploring the relationship between self-reported group rapport and group-level social...
Emotional intelligence is the ability of an individual to recognize, utilize, and regulate emotions, which are likely relevant to the perception of emotions in humans as well as in animals. The perception of emotions in companion animals enables an individual to improve the intensity of the bond between a human...
Sports, being one of the most popular forms of social play for children (Felfe et al., 2016), can contribute to a child’s development, as they are associated with “physical growth, biological maturation, behavioral development, psychological, and social well-being” (Bailey et al., 2015). The purpose of this study was to attempt...
The purpose of this thesis was to assess the relationship between group rapport and nonverbal expressivity using three data sources: self-report, observer ratings, and test data. Assessing these constructs using multiple data sources enabled the construction of multitrait-multimethod matrices. These matrices allowed for a critical evaluation of the convergent and...
There is consensus among researchers that some form of hemispheric lateralization exists when perceiving emotions. However, conclusions regarding the exact organization have been inconsistent with some studies supporting an overall right hemisphere lateralization and others suggesting differential lateralization for positively and negatively valenced emotions. The main objective of this study...
The purpose of this thesis is to propose swiveling behavior as a potential speech transitioning device and to discuss the methodology behind qualitative and quantitative analysis of swivels in relation to subjects’ partners. Due to the impacts of gaze and body orientation direction on speech transitioning, it is deduced that,...
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices are designed to enable individuals with limited communication abilities to communicate effectively with others. One of the most commonly used AAC devices converts a text input into a vocalized message for the user. These types of AAC devices can be difficult to use and...
Videotapes of 90 dyadic interactions from Sommer and Bernieri (2015) were examined to assess verbal and nonverbal intimacy. Verbal intimacy (self-disclosing statements) and nonverbal intimacy behaviors (face gaze, distance, body orientation, and forward lean) were coded in every interaction. It was hypothesized that verbal intimacy (self-disclosure) would increase over time...
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices enable people who cannot speak to communicate with others. Unfortunately, they are tedious to use and are believed to lower the satisfaction of interacting with others. This thesis attempted to document the impact that AAC devices have on social interactions, in the hope of...