The relation of hostile nonverbal communication styles to popularity in preadolescent children

Some assumptions of interpersonal theory were tested among a population of preadolescent children. Children were videotaped while interacting with a same-sex peer, and their verbal and nonverbal communications were judged by other peers who were not participants in the study. Children rated as socially unattractive by their peers had communication styles characterized by nonverbal visual hostility. These results support the assumption that negative nonverbal communications are associated with relationship difficulties.