INTRODUCTORY GREETING BEHAVIOR - A LABORATORY INVESTIGATION OF APPROACHING AND CLOSING SALUTATION PHASES

Possible relationships among measures of nonverbal behaviour in the ap proaching and the closing salutation phases of introductory greeting b ehaviour and demographic data, physical characteristics, i.e., body he ight, vigour of the hand, and personality traits were investigated in a group of 50 healthy Swedish adults. Nonverbal immediacy behaviour, i .e., Walking Speed, Walking Style, Mutual Look, Presence of Smile, Foo t Angle, Least Distance (between researcher and subject) in the approa ching phase, handshaking variables, consistency, temperature, dryness and strength of the hand, and duration of the closing salutation phase , were analysed as well as attitudes toward the 'pleasant' and 'unplea sant' handshakes. The introductory greeting behaviour between the rese archer and the subject was filmed. The reliability and stability of th e nonverbal behaviour over one year was satisfactory. In the approachi ng phase Speed and Style of Walking (heel or flat-foot walking), the w ay of standing when greeting (Foot Angle and Foot Distance), and Mutua l Look were significantly related to personality characteristics of so ciability, aggressiveness, and neuroticism. Observation of nonverbal b ehavioural measures except Walking Style in the approaching phase is r elatively easily trained and may be useful as a part of preliminary br ief assessments of personality characteristics. In the closing salutat ion Strength of the hand grip was in different ways related to aggress iveness, dominance, exhibitionism, sociability, and neuroticism. Most respondents considered a limp and loose, cold, and wet hand with no sh aking pressure as the most unpleasant hand. The preference or dislike for a certain handshaking pressure was related to the actual pressure (Strength of the hand) applied by the respondent. Generalisations from the present results must even here be drawn with caution and only for a male initiator of this greeting.