Just as there are conversational hand gestures, there are also conversational (non-emotional) facial displays, which convey information related to the topic of the dialogue. Facial displays are typically very fleeting (often less than one to two seconds), so they can be tightly synchronized with words. Both speakers and addressees make frequent facial displays. Speakers illustrate what they are saying as they are saying it, and addressees display their responses to what the speaker is saying without interrupting. Our research shows that these facial displays in face-to-face dialogue do not express inner emotions; rather, they convey meaning to another person.
The starred articles below are good ones to start with.
Bavelas, J. B. (2007). Face-to-face dialogue as a micro-social context. The example of motor mimicry.
Bavelas, J. B., & Gerwing, J. (2007). Conversational hand gestures and facial displays in face-to-face dialogue.
*Bavelas, J. B., & Chovil, N. (2006). Hand gestures and facial displays as part of language use in face-to-face dialogue.
Chovil, N., (2005). Measuring Conversational Facial Displays. In V. Manusov (Ed.), The Sourcebook of Nonverbal Measures: Going Beyond Words. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Bavelas, J. B. (2000). Nonverbal aspects of fluency.
Bavelas, J. B., & Chovil, N. (2000). Visible acts of meaning. An integrated message model of language use in face-to-face dialogue.
Bavelas, J. B., Coates, L., & Johnson, T. (2000). Listeners as co-narrators.
*Bavelas, J. B., & Chovil, N. (1997). Faces in dialogue
Chovil, N. (1997). Facing outwards: A social communicative approach to facial displays. In J. A. Russell and J. M. Fernandez-Dols (Eds.), New Directions in the Study of Facial Expressions (pp. 321-333). Cambridge UK: Cambridge. University Press.
Chovil, N. (1992). Discourse-oriented facial displays in conversation. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 25, 163-164.
Chovil, N. (1991). Social determinants of facial displays. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 15, 141-154.
Chovil, N., & Fridlund, A. J. (1991). Why emotionality cannot equal sociality: Reply to Buck. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 15, 163-167.
Chovil, N. (1989). Communicative functions of facial displays in conversation. Dissertation Abstracts International, 51-04B, 2111.
Bavelas, J. B., Black, A., Lemery, C. R., & Mullett, J. (1986). "I show how you feel": Motor mimicry as a communicative act.
