We investigated the effects of various situational and personality variables on the display of nonverbal greetings. The sex of the greeting interactants, level of acquaintanceship, and the topic to be discussed were systematically varied in a number of role-played greeting situations. Observers then rated these role-played greetings in terms of intimacy and the type of greeting displayed. Greetings between role-played friends were judged more intimate than greetings between acquaintances. In addition, individuals who scored higher on standardized measures of nonverbal skills were more intimate overall in their greeting displays.
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