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Does Communicating Nonverbal Disagreement During An Opponent's Speech Affect The Credibility Of The Debater In The Background?, John S. Seiter

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Compared to televised debates using a single-screen format, those using a split screen presenting both debaters simultaneously show viewers the nonverbal reactions of a debater's opponent. This study examined the effect of such nonverbal reactions on viewers' ratings of the nonverbal communicator's credibility. students watched one of four versions of a televised debate. One version used a single-screen format, showing only the speaker, while the other three versions used a split-screen format in which the speaker's opponent displayed constant, occasional, or no nonverbal disagreement with the speaker. After watching the videos, students rated the opponent's credibility using the Source Credibility …