DYAD RAPPORT AND THE ACCURACY OF ITS JUDGMENT ACROSS SITUATIONS - A LENS MODEL ANALYSIS

Ecology of rapport and its perception within 2 contexts (i.e., adversa rial and cooperative) were examined from a Brunswikian perspective. A lens model analysis determined (a) which observable cues were indicati ve of rapport, (b) whether observer judgments covaried with such cues, and (c) whether observers could assess accurately the rapport between opposite-sex interactants. Whereas the manifestation of rapport was c ontext specific, judgment policies used by observers were not. Rapport judgments were driven by target expressivity regardless of social con text. Results suggest an ''expressivity halo'' in behavioral stream ju dgments that is analogous to the physical attractiveness halo found in judgments made from still photos. Finally, social perception accuracy was higher in the cooperative context where rapport was more strongly associated with target expressivity.