Individual and Cultural Differences in Response to Leaders' Nonverbal Displays

This research used variations in leaders' facial displays to elicit differing emotional and cognitive responses and effects associated with the viewer's sociocultural background, personality, and gender were found to be distinct in character.

Abstract

Humans share a repertoire of nonverbal displays with other primates, but they integrate these cues with learned information in a complex manner. In politics, as in other spheres of life, individuals in a given situation not only react differently, but even see different things. Building on research in ethology, social psychology, and cognitive neuroscience, this research used variations in leaders' facial displays to elicit differing emotional and cognitive responses. Effects associated with the viewer's sociocultural background, personality, and gender were found to be distinct in character. Cultural differences entail patterns of evaluating cues whereas the influence of personality is mediated by differential perceptions. Gender differences seem to involve an interaction of both types of effect. Evolutionary psychology can thus explore how emotion and cognition interact when humans' natural repertoire of social behavior is expressed in meaningful situations.