The Nonverbal Bully: Effects of Shouting and Conversational Distance on Perceptions of Bullying Intensity

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Abstract

The current study investigates how people perceive the intensity of a bullying situation when nonverbal elements of conversational distance and volume are manipulated. One of the major characteristics of bullying behavior is aggression. Aggression is commonly seen in a bully’s vocalic behavior and, in particular, increased volume. Interpersonal distance is another nonverbal behavior that is easily perceived but may go unnoticed in bullying interactions. Patterson’s sequential model of arousal (1976; 1982) is used as a foundation to explain the effects of speaking volume and distance between a bully and a victim on third-person perceptions of bullying intensity. Bullying is predicted to be perceived as most intense when the distance between the bully and victim is short and the bully speaks loudly

Authors

• Corey Pavlich, University of Arizona

• Steve Rains, U of Arizona

• Chris Segrin, U of Arizona