Effectiveness of sensitivity training on the perception of non-verbal communications.

Abstract

To determine the effects of didactic and experiential treatments on sensitivitj to non-verbal cues, 16 graduate students enrolled in a counseling practieum were randomly assigned to the 2 treatment groups Both before and after training the students were asked to use a semantic differential test to late filmed emotional scenes. Differential effects were obtained from the 2 groups iii their responses to filmed counselee and emotion variables.

Nonverbal Warm-Up Exercises With Adolescents

“…Both open body posture and forward body lean indicate the presence of empathy, positive attitudes toward others, and free expression of one's own feelings (Bays, 1976;Haas and Tepper, 1972;McClintock and Hunt, 1975). It also seems apparent from this study that the nonverbal warm-up exercises improve communication in groups and, subsequently, the quality of group member interaction, which is consistent with the results of many previous studies (Bowers et al, 1973;Delaney and Heimann, 1966;Friedman et al, 1976;Rankin, 1975;Tepper and Haase, 1978). Thus, it seems that a therapist wishing to enhance the effectiveness of his or her groups may wish to consider utilizing nonverbal exercises as one means to this end.…”

The Effectiveness of Training to Improve Person Perception Accuracy: A Meta-Analysis

“…Empathic accuracy is the ability to accurately infer thoughts and feelings. 1 Sixteen articles reporting 21 independent effect sizes representing a within-subjects approach were found, and a separate meta-analysis was conducted on these studies (Allport, 1924;Barone et al, 2005;Danish & Kagan, 1971;Delaney & Heimann, 1966;Elfenbein, 2006;Endres & Laidlaw, 2009;Frank, Paolantonio, Feeley, & Servoss, 2004;Gutierrez & Wallbrown, 1983;Jenness, 1932;Lanzetta & Kleck, 1970;Myers, Myers, Goldberg, & Welch, 1969;Nixon & Bull, 2005;Robbins et al, 1979;Russell, Chu, & Phillips, 2006;Savage, 1975;Webb, Diana, Luft, Brooks, & Brennan, 1997). Combining the 21 effect sizes from within-subjects designs, the random effects mean effect size was r ¼ .44 (Z ¼ 7.06, p < .001) and the fixed, weighted mean effect size was r ¼ .40 (Z ¼ 10.50, p < .001).…”

Nonverbal Training for Psychotherapy

“…Particular learning modules are identified as more effective in enhancing a particular skill such as encoding or decoding or intervention. Dydactic training to familiarize trainees with the range of nonverbal behaviors is effective by itself in decoding cues sent by others (Delaney & Heiman, 1966;Delaney, 1969;D'Augelli & Chinsky, 1974). Experiential training can be effective in enhancing awareness of one's own nonverbal cues which are encoded or sent to others.…”

“…In addition, experiential learning modules can reduce therapist inhibition to work with nonverbal behavior. An effective experiential learning module might consist of a peer group format in which group members simulate (Delaney, 1966) nonverbal processes, such as expressing various emotions nonverbally (i.e., roletaking, Wilbur & Wilbur, 1980) and relaxation and mirroring of one another's nonverbal behavior, all of which is followed by verbal feedback (Hansford, 1977). In clinical internship and ongoing professional supervision, role-modeling of nonverbal interventions by supervisors can address the fundamental new skill of intervention with nonverbal behavior.…”