Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
Published on: September 28, 2018
Explicit Beliefs About Nonverbal Behavior and the Big Five Traits
Judith A Hall1, Nora A Murphy2, Katja Schlegel3,4
1Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Introduction:
Everyday experience as well as the research literature on trait attributions suggest that people use nonverbal cues when judging the personality of a person. However, little research has reported on people's explicitly held beliefs about these associations.
Methods:
Two hundred forty-five participants recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk rated how strongly they thought 20 nonverbal cues are related to each of the Big Five traits. Their beliefs were then compared to a previous meta-analysis to see how explicit beliefs compare to implicit beliefs measured in lens models (cue utilizations) and to actual links between the Big Five and nonverbal cues (cue validities).
Results:
Participants' explicit beliefs formed coherent constellations for each trait. The explicit beliefs corresponded generally well with implicit beliefs as well as with cue validities.
Conclusion:
The results support the validity of explicit beliefs about nonverbal cues and the Big Five, offering new opportunities for researchers interested in how beliefs affect interpersonal interactions.
Related Concept Videos
Five-Factor Theory of Personality
Openness reflects creativity, curiosity, and openness to new experiences. Individuals scoring high in openness are imaginative, have a wide range of interests, and are independent...
Implicit Personality Theories
Personality Theory by Eysenck and Eysenck
In the extroversion/introversion dimension, highly extroverted people are sociable, outgoing, and easily connect with others. In contrast,...
Introduction to Personality Psychology
Early Theories of Personality
The study of...
The Behavioral Perspective on Personality
Social Cognitive Perspective on Personality

