Abstract
This experiment represented an exploratory investigation of the effects of the emotional loading (anxiety-arousing potential) of questions in a dyadic interview. 40 male subjects (inmates in a correctional institution) participated as interviewees. The four variables evaluated were: emotional loading, kinesic behavior, paralinguistic behavior, and content of interview question. A 2 × 2 × 2 × 4 nested design incorporating repeated treatments and complete randomization within a Latin square arrangement of treatment presentation was employed. A replication of the study using another interviewer was also conducted. Observational coding and attitudinal posttest questionnaires yielded the experimental data for examination. The results suggest that emotional loading primarily affects indices of verbal anxiety, while tending to override nonverbal responding. Effects of interviewer were evaluated in light of their interactive modification of the interview process.
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