Psychology 4559
Nonverbal Communication: Fact or Fiction?
Instructor: Carolyn Palmquist
cpalmquist@virginia.edu
Location: Gilmer 225, Tuesday & Thursday 3:30 – 4:45
Office Hours: B032, Thursday 2-3:20; 5-6
Readings: All readings will be posted on the class Collab site under resources.
This seminar will highlight some of the theoretical controversies in animal communication.
Using this framework, students will investigate the kinds of messages animals convey with their
nonverbal communication and consider the directions in which future research should continue.
We will also contemplate how our own questions about the field may push the topic in new
directions and improve how we relate to others outside of language. Finally, we will use the lens
of nonverbal communication, and a series of collaborative and observational activities, to
develop an understanding of the research process, what effective research entails, and how to
evaluate and apply research in daily life. We will reach these goals by engaging with the
following objectives:
1. Experience the process of data collection and analysis via field observations.
2. Assess the methods used to investigate nonverbal communication; develop a standard by
which to evaluate other research.
3. Become proficient in the tools of psychological research including: reading and analyzing
research, writing effectively, providing and integrating insightful feedback, and establishing
creative methods for testing questions.
4. Situate behavioral outcomes within theoretical frameworks; use them as evidence to support
and define our claims.
5. Identify and discuss the main questions and controversies surrounding different species’
ability to communicate nonverbally.
6. Understand several ways in which different species communicate nonverbally, and consider
what this suggests about inter-species similarities and differences.
7. Discover ways in which an understanding of nonverbal communication may facilitate better
parenting and relationships with others.
Activities: (details and guidelines for each assignment can be found on Collab)
Final Paper/Reaction Papers/Article Leader Points: Good scientists are able to read deeply and
comment on the research of their peers. In this course, you will develop and practice this skill by
writing insightful reactions to, and leading class discussions on, the assigned articles. Your
written reactions to research will also help you develop a working model of the best research
practices and consider how different topics may be applied to your daily life. The culmination of
this practice will be the final paper in which you will share the findings of your individual
research projects.
Peer Editing: Students who provide particularly useful and insightful feedback on their
peers’ writing have the opportunity to receive extra credit on their final grade.
Blogging on Article Discussion: Article leaders will also be expected to post a short blog
entry on the articles they presented in class for the day. Students are encouraged to
respond to these posts for extra credit.
Observation Project: You will have the opportunity to apply your theories about nonverbal
communication in this observation project. You will work to design an observational study, carry
it out in a series of field or video observations, and then assess the validity of the approach you
chose.
Project Proposal: An important component of the research process involves developing
ideas and considering the best way to answer a question you may have. By creating a
project proposal, you will have the opportunity to think about your project and insure
they are optimally designed, in the same way scientists do.
Methods Day/Observation Notebook: Psychologists are often required to make detailed
observations of phenomenon in their environment. Determining the best way to collect
these observations can be challenging. These experiences will allow you to explore
several methods of observation, situate behavioral outcomes in theoretical frameworks,
and consider which approaches best suit your needs.
Final Presentation: Scientists must be able to speak coherently and succinctly in order to
effectively share their research with others. In this class, you will practice these skills by making
small presentations throughout the semester, which will culminate in presenting your own
research project at the end of the course.
Final Portfolio: This collection will serve as a cohesive piece that encompasses all of the
activities and experiences you have had this semester. I will collect this portfolio at several
points through the semester to check your progress on the topics. This project will also include a
final synthesized reflection on the ways you have grown over the semester and your strengths
and weaknesses.
Participation: Finally, scientists must be able to engage in conversations about their field of
study. It is often in conversations with colleagues that the best ideas are born and the most
complicated problems are solved. It is for this reason that participation in class discussions and
activities is highly valued and required. More than 2 absences without sufficient reason will drop
your overall grade by half a letter grade (A to B+, B+ to B, etc).
Tips for Success
You are expected to be active, not passive, learners. This means that you will complete the
readings and come to class prepared to discuss and critique them. This also means that you
should choose a project that you are genuinely interested in and would like to pursue
independently, taking responsibility for its successful completion. Finally, it means that you will
be a good member of the classroom community: providing feedback to your peers, respecting
others’ points of view, and working collaboratively with others (including the instructor) to gain
a better understanding of the material.
Grading
30%: Final Paper (60 points)
20%: Reactions (30)/Article Leader Points (10 points)
10%: Final Portfolio (20 points)
10%: Final Presentation (20 points)
10%: Project Proposal (20 points)
10%: Observation Notebook (20 points)
10%: Participation (20 points)
Class Schedule
Week
Introduction
January 15
Class Topic and
Activities
Readings
Assignments
Introduction to the
course
No readings due
today
No
assignments
due today
Can non-human species communicate?
January 17
Communication
Rendall, Owren,
theory
& Ryan (2009);
Seyfarth,
Cheney, et al.
(2010); Font &
Carazo (2010)
January 22
In-class debate
Use readings
from previous
week
What do non-primate species use signals for?
January 24
Bees
Sherman &
Visscher (2002)
(required)
No
assignments
due today
Prepare for
debate
First draft of
Reaction 1
due
Article
Leaders
Select ONE of
the following as
well:
Weidenmuller &
Seeley (1999)
OR Gil & De
Marco (2010)
January 29
Dolphins
What do primates use signals for?
January 31
Primates use
signals for
communication
Lusseau &
Conradt (2009)
Reaction 1
posted to
website (first
and final
drafts)
Leavens,
Hopkins, & Bard
(2005); Lyn,
Russell, &
Hopkins (2010);
Schneider, Call,
& Liebal (2010)
First draft of
Reaction 2
due
Optional
readings: Bard
(1992), Cartmill
& Byrne (2010),
Leavens, Russell,
& Hopkins
(2005); Laidre
(2008)
February 5
Primates use
Povinelli, Bering, Reaction 2
signals for basic
& Giambrone in posted to
biological reasons Kita (2003)
website
other than
communication.
February 7
Lessons from the
field: Taylor Rubin
guest lecture
Can non-human species use and understand human signals?
February 12
How we train and Please select
First draft of
evaluate dogs’ and TWO of the
Reaction 3
primates’ use of
following: Hare
due
human signals.
& Tomasello
Why is this
important?
(1999); Soproni,
et al. (2001);
Soproni, et al.
(2002);
Zimmermann, et
al. (2009)
Optional
readings:
Kaminski,
Tempelmann,
Call, &
Tomasello
(2009); Leavens
& Hopkins
(1998); Mulcahy
& Call (2009)
How do humans develop non-verbal communication?
February 14
Gaze
Johnson,
Slaughter, &
Carey (1998);
Brooks &
Meltzoff (2005);
Moore &
Corkum (1998)
February 19
Pointing
Lempers (1979),
Leung &
Rheingold (1981)
Reaction 3
posted to
website
First draft of
Reaction 4
due
Portfolio
evaluation
Do gestures help infants learn about minds?
February 21
Infants’ pointing
Liszkowski,
Reaction 4
reflects mental
Carpenter, &
posted to
understanding.
Tomasello
website
(2008);
Liszkowski, et al.
(2004);
Liszkowski,
Carpenter, &
Tomasello
(2007)
February 26
Infants’ pointing is
a result of simple
Butterworth in
Kita (2003)
First draft of
Reaction 5
reinforcement.
due
Do atypical human populations use gestures?
February 28
Gesturing in
Baron-Cohen
autistic children
(1989); Stone,
Ousley, Yoder,
Hogan, &
Hepburn (1997)
Can gestures help children learn?
March 5
Children’s
gestures: how they
are used and
interpreted.
Goldin-Meadow
(2006); GoldinMeadow,
Goodrich, Sauer,
& Iverson (2007)
First draft of
Reaction 6
due
Reaction 5
posted to
website
Reaction 6
posted to
website
What questions remain?
March 7
Library day: begin
Portfolio
research on your
evaluation
project topic.
SPRING BREAK 3/12 and 3/14: DEVELOP PROJECT CONCEPT
How can we conduct our research?
March 19
Challenges in
Tomasello
research with
(2011), Ryan
animals.
(2011)
March 21
Challenges in
Einarsdottir
research with
(2007)
children.
How can we apply our knowledge?
March 26
In-class proposals.
Project
proposal due
March 28
Applied work:
Conduct
Megan Kennedy
observation
and Maggie Page
before 4/16
guest lectures
How does culture affect nonverbal communication?
April 2
Cultural variation
Wilkins (2003)
Conduct
observation
before 4/16
April 4
Cultural
Liszkowski,
Conduct
similarities
Brown,
observation
Callaghan,
before 4/16
Takada, & de
Vos (2012)
What is the future of nonverbal communication?
April 9
Technology
Find popular
inspired by
science article to
nonverbal
share (1/2 class)
communication
April 11
Technology
Find popular
replacing
science article to
nonverbal
share (1/2 class)
communication
How do we present our research to others?
April 16
Data analysis, peer
editing/observation
swap
APRIL 18: WORK ON CLASS PRESENTATIONS
April 23
Final presentations
April 25
Final presentations
What have we found? What does it tell us?
April 30
Conduct
observation
before 4/16
Conduct
observation
before 4/16
Observation
notebook due
Final papers
and portfolios
due