Interpreting Nonverbal Communication: A Comparison of Self-reported versus Actual Abilities of Project Managers and Police Officers

This study is a research pilot in which a questionnaire was developed and a field study executed. The pilot will serve to provide a basis from which an in-depth study of the gap between self-reported and actual skills and abilities in interpreting nonverbal communication can be conducted.;The researchers were interested in studying the ability of Project Managers to interpret nonverbal communication. They were also interested in measuring the skills and abilities of Project Managers against a group expected to outperform the Project Managers in the identification of nonverbal communication. Law Enforcement officers were hypothesized to outperform Project Managers in interpreting nonverbal communication and were selected as the standard against which Project Managers would be evaluated. A control group was also included in this pilot study. Three groups ranging in size from 40--49 persons were studied.;The findings show that the Project Managers interpreted nonverbal communication comparably to the Control Group with similar percentages of correct answers. A greater number of Police Officers interpreted the nonverbal communication incorrectly as shown by consistently lower percentages of correct answers in comparison to the other groups.;The importance of understanding nonverbal communication seems to be underestimated. The study reveals a gap between the self-reported abilities in interpreting nonverbal communication and the actual abilities of individuals.