The effects of nonverbal behavior in the 1992 televised presidential debates

In the past 35 years, six series of televised debates have changed the way presidential elections are held in America. Beginning with the Nixon-Kennedy debates in 1960, the opportunity for voters to see the candidates, side by side, debating their policies and positions has become an integral part of the election process. Since that first televised debate, several studies have been done on the various aspects of the debates. Most studies have focused primarily on the rhetorical dimension of the debates. The aspect of nonverbal communication in televised presidential debates, however, has not received much direct attention. An understanding of the impact of nonverbal communication in this setting will provide further insight into the role which nonverbal communication plays in the political process.

The current study examines the use of nonverbal communication within the 1992 televised presidential debates. It examines the amount of nonverbal behavior manifested by each of the candidates as well as audience perceptions of credibility for each candidate. The study will profile the candidates, and their use of nonverbal communication. Further, it will determine how the audiences ranked them in terms of credibility. The review of literature which is relevant to this study will cover three areas. First, the review will give a historic overview of televised presidential debates, with a discussion of how television as a medium has affected the format of the debates. Second, it will address the issue of credibility for Presidential candidates, and outlme the various dimensions of credibility. Finally, it will cover the relevant nonverbal forms of communication in presidential debates, specifically addressing kinesics, paralinguistics, facial expressions, eye contact, and proxemics.