Abstract
To determine the manner in which a person committed to silence handles another not so committed, separate groups of 16 female Ss were confronted by either another silent female, a smiling, or a talking female. A control group sat alone for the same 10-min. period. Ss also indicated whether they were inwardly or outwardly perceptually oriented. Ss exhibited more gross body movements, eye contacts, and gestures, and rated themselves more outwardly oriented in the talking than in the silent condition; the smiling condition fell in between. Control Ss exhibited even more and rated themselves even more outwardly oriented than Ss in the talking condition. These results may be understood in terms of anxiety, role-playing competence, and the systematic nature of a two-person interaction.
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