Candidates' Nonverbal Behaviors and Credibility in the 2008 Presidential Debates

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

Abstract

While there is agreement that presidential debates have an impact on voters, the level of impact is uncertain, specifically in regards to nonverbal behaviors. Based on Burgoon, Birk, and Pfau’s (1990) assessment of nonverbal behaviors that are associated with credibility, certain nonverbal behaviors have been shown to predict perceptions of credibility and subsequently impacts on voter decision making. This study examines the relationship between nonverbal behaviors and perceptions of credibility during the 2008 Presidential debates.

Authors

• Lindsey Harvell, University of Oklahoma

• Gwendelyn Nisbett, University of Oklahoma

• Rachel Breland, University of Oklahoma

• Lindsey Henry, University of Oklahoma

• Alex Rivera, University of Oklahoma