Abstract
This study examined self-touching behavior in a simulated employment interview. Four male and four female interviewers each met with four applicants (four male and four female) under two different conditions of formality (informal and formal). Results showed that sex composition of the dyad, status within the dyad, and situational formality could dramatically affect the frequency and location of self-touching. In examining self-touching as a predictor of interpersonal outcomes and hiring decisions, it was found that male interviewers rated applicants more favorably than did female interviewers, and both male and female interviewers engaged in more foot touching while conducting interviews leading to a favorable hiring decision. The striking number of results with large effect sizes suggests that self-touching may be an important but neglected variable in social interaction.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Argyle, M. & Cook, M.Gaze and mutual gaze. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1976.
Barroso, F. & Feld, J.K. Self-touching and attentional processes: The role of task difficulty, selection stage, and sex differences.Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 1985,10 00–00.
Barroso, F., Freedman, N., & Grand, S. Self-touching, performance and attentional processes.Perceptual and Motor Skills, 50 1980, 1083–1089.
Barroso, F., Freedman, N., Grand, S., & Van Meel, J. The evocation of two types of hand movements in information processing.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance 1978, 4, 321–329.
Ekman, P. Biological and cultural contributions to body and facial movement. In J. Blacking (ed.),The Anthropology of the body. London: Academic Press, 1977.
Ekman, P. & Friesen, W.V. The repertoire of nonverbal behavior: Categories, origins, usage, and coding.Semiotica 1969,1 49–98.
Ekman, P. & Friesen, W.V. Hand movements.Journal of Communication 1977,22 353–374.
Ekman, P. & Friesen, M.V. Detecting deception from the body or face.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1974,29 288–298.
Ekman, P., Friesen, W.V., & Sherer, K. Body movement and voice pitch in deceptive interaction.Semiotica 1976,16 23–27.
Forbes, R.J. & Jackson, P.R. Nonverbal behavior and the outcome of selection interviews.Journal of Occupational Psychology 1980,53 65–72.
Freedman, N. The analysis of movement behavior during the clinical interview. In A. Seigman & B. Pope (Eds.),Studies in dynamic communication. New York: Pergamon Press, 1972.
Freedman, N. & Bucci, W. On kinesic filtering in associative monologue.Semiotica 1981,34 225–249.
Freedman, N. & Hoffman, S.P. Kinetic behavior in altered clinical states: Approach to objective analysis of motor behavior during clinical interviews.Perceptual and Motor Skills 1967,24 527–539.
Friedman, H.S., Hall, J.A, & Harris, M.J. Type A behavior, nonverbal expressive style, & health.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1985,48 1299–1315.
Goffman, E.Behavior in public places: Notes on social organization of gatherings. New York: Free Press, 1963.
Hall, J.A.Nonverbal sex differences. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1984.
Henley, N.M.Body Politics. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1977.
Imada, A.S. & Hakel, M.D. Influence of nonverbal communication and rater proximity on impressions and decisions in simulated employment interviews.Journal of Applied Psychology 1977,62 295–300.
Jourard, S.M. & Rubin, J.E. Self-disclosure and touching: A study of two modes of interpersonal encounter and their interrelation.Journal of Humanistic Psychology 1968,8 39–48.
Mahl, G.F. Gestures and body movements in interviews. In J.M. Shlien, H.F. Hunt, J.O. Matarazzo, & C. Savage (Eds.),Research in psychotherapry. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1968.
Major, B. & Heslin, R. Perceptions of cross-sex and same-sex nonreciprocal touch: it is better to give than receive.Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 1982,6 148–162.
McGovern, T.V. & Howard, E.A. Interviewer evaluations of interviewee nonverbal behavior.Journal of Vocational Behavior 1978,13 163–171.
Mehrabian, A. Significance of posture and position in the communication of attitude and status relationships.Psychological Bulletin 1969,71 359–372.
Mehrabian, A.Nonverbal Communication. Chicago: Aldine-Atherton, 1972.
Montague, A.Touching: The human significance of the skin. New York: Columbia University Press, 1971.
Nguyen, M.L., Heslin, R., & Nguyen, T.D The meaning of touch: sex and marital status differences.Representative Research in Social Psychology 1976,7 13–18.
Parsons, C.K. & Liden, R.C Interviewer perceptions of applicant qualifications: A multivariate field study of demographic characteristics and nonverbal cues.Journal of Applied Psychology 1984,69 557–568.
Powell, G.N. & Butterfield, D.A. The “good manager”: Masculine or androgynous.Academy of Management Journal 1979,22 395–403.
Rosenfeld, H.M Approval-seeking and approval-inducing functions of verbal and nonverbal responses in the dyad.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1966,4 597–605.
Rosenthal, R. Conducting judgment studies. In K.R. Scherer & P. Ekman (Eds.),Handbook of methods in nonverbal behavior research. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982.
Rosenthal, R. & DePaulo, B.M. Sex differences in eavesdropping on nonverbal cues.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1979,37 273–285.
Rosenthal, R. & Rosnow, R.L.Essentials of behavioral research. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984.
Ruggierei, V., Celli, C., & Crescenzi, A. Self-contact and gesturing in different stimulus situations: Relationship with cerebral dominance.Perceptual and Motor Skills 1982,54 1003–1010.
Scheflen, A.E.Body language and the social order. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1972.
Terborg, J.R. Women in management: A research review.Journal of Applied Psychology 1977,62 647–664.
Thayer, S. Social touching. In W. Schiff & E. Foulke (Eds.),Tactual perception: a sourcebook. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982.
Waxler, P.H. Nonverbal cues for anxiety: An examination of emotional leakage.Journal of Abnormal Psychology 1977,86 306–314.
Wexley, K. N., Fugita, S. S., & Malone, M. P. An applicant's nonverbal behavior and student-evaluators' judgments in a structured interview setting.Psychological Reports 1975,36 391–394.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation. Part of this research was presented at a meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association held April, 1984, in Baltimore, Maryland. We would like to thank Roger Brown for his insightful comments, Tanna Lee for her tireless efforts in collecting and organizing the data, and Stephen Thayer for his helpful suggestions on earlier drafts.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Goldberg, S., Rosenthal, R. Self-touching behavior in the job interview: Antecedents and consequences. J Nonverbal Behav 10, 65–80 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987206
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987206