Emotional & Non-Verbal Communication in Social & Economic Interactions
University of Bath: Alan Lewis
University of Bristol: Ian Penton-Voak, Poppy Mulvaney
Cardiff University: Antony Manstead, Job Van Der Schalk
University of Exeter: Andrew Livingstone (PI), Brit Grosskopf
Background
The dynamics of micro-economic interactions have been studied extensively as a way of understanding behaviour between unequal parties in an economic relationship (e.g., in variations of the Ultimatum Game and Dictator Game), and the ways in which individuals reward or punish ‘anti-social’ behaviour that potentially undermines a public good (e.g., in ‘public goods game’ paradigms). Quite separately, other research in social and other areas of psychology has highlighted the profound effect that emotional and other forms of social communication have on interactions between individuals. The role of such communication in shaping emergent norms and shared group identities is a rapidly-growing area of research. There is a need to understand the underpinnings of cooperative and non-cooperative behaviour in society, particularly in the context of inequality.
Project Summary
Funds were primarily used to hold a workshop and sandpit event bringing together GW4 researchers to share recent research findings, explore overlap and potential points of collaboration and to help to identify potential research funding opportunities. Discussions elaborated shared interests and specific research ideas that could form the basis of a large-scale funding application. The workshop was particularly valuable for research groups working in different disciplines as well as different institutions, and greatly enhanced familiarity between a number of prominent research groups across the institutions. Following the workshop, the community held follow up meetings to plan an application for further funding, and published several research papers.
