The Nonverbal Communication of Character in Presidential Candidates: Competence, Compassion, Credibility, and Charisma

• In Event: Presence and Pitfalls: The Role of Nonverbal Communication in the 2008 Presidential Election

Abstract

The close victory of John F. Kennedy over Richard M. Nixon in the 1960 Presidential election has been attributed to the youthful and dynamic appearance of Kennedy versus the comparatively disheveled appearance of Nixon in the first televised Presidential debate. Since then, the nonverbal aspects of a candidate’s appearance in communicating Presidential character over visual media has been a subject of interest and research. Relatively little attention has been paid, however, to the emotional aspects of this communication process. The present research program has conceptualized media political communication in terms of two simultaneous “streams” of communication. Symbolic Communication is learned, intentional, symbolic, and propositional; and is decoded by the audience. Spontaneous Communication is innate, nonintentional, nonpropositional communication via signs, and it is “picked up” naturally, effortlessly, and directly by the audience (even via media). It is suggested that Presidential character is largely communicated spontaneously. The proposed components of character are competence, compassion, credibility, and charisma: These are measured by the C4 Scale. Data from ratings of candidates from the campaigns of 2000, 2004, and 2008 will be presented and discussed, with particular emphasis upon the definition and measurement of two aspects of charisma—moral and reptilian charisma—in the 2008 campaign and the relationship between communicated Presidential character and the social and moral emotions of the audience.

Authors

• Ross Buck, University of Connecticut

• Christopher Kowal, University of Connecticut

• Edward Vieira Jr., Simmons College