Self-Presentation, Individual Differences, and Gendered Evaluations of Nonverbal Greeting Behaviors among Close Male Friends

Individual differences influence both relational behaviors and third-party perceptions. This study extends research on perceptions of nonverbal greetings by analyzing personality characteristics, self-presentational goals, and cognitive processing in the evaluation of ritualized nonverbal greetings between men. 146 subjects watched one of two different videos showing male friends publicly greeting one another using either intimate or non-intimate touch. Results demonstrate the influence of nonverbals and the relative appropriateness of ritualized greetings. Participants were also increasingly distracted by intimate touch in the videos if they had stronger desire for heterosexual self-presentation, indicating stressors associated with an increased cognitive load. This study highlights influences of gender orientation, self-presentation, and nonverbal norms upon both observer's cognitive processing and one's subsequent attitude towards relational behaviors.