Valerie Manusov
Biographic Data
| ID | 120425 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Valerie Manusov |
| GIVEN NAMES | Valerie |
| FAMILY NAME | Manusov |
| SIGNATURE | MANUSOV V |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Washington |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1610-5478 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 25 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 91 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 25 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1990 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Modeling the Potential Effectiveness of Low Person-Centered Emotional Support
Low person-centered (LPC) emotional support messages have been associated consistently with poor outcomes for message recipients because such messages typically blame the recipient and invalidate or ignore their emotions. Using the dual-process theory of supportive communication as its basis, this study proposed a model in which the detrimental effects of LPC messages may be weakened (and the potential for positive results strengthened) by a comb…
How Sweet It Is
Facilitated Contact
The contact hypothesis purports that intergroup interactions under particular conversational conditions are more likely to lead to positive outcomes, including a decrease in prejudice. Extending the contact hypothesis by conceptualizing conditions as unfolding communicative processes, we held focus group/interviews with 35 facilitators from 14 community organizations that conduct interracial conversations about race. We used thematic analysis to …
Building resilience in response to identity-based discrimination through in person and online communication
This study investigates resilience processes in the context of identity-based discrimination through the lens of the communication theory of resilience (CTR). Participants enacted all CTR processes delineated in the theory utilizing both in-person and online communication when facing six identity-related triggers. Participants described how social media, virtual tools, and online communities empowered them to adapt each communicative resilience (…
Pelosi, Pointing, and Power
This study examines 59 online articles written about a photograph of Nancy Pelosi standing up in the White House cabinet room and pointing her finger toward Donald Trump. Trump released the photo and tweeted his own interpretation of it; online articles followed discussing descriptions and/or interpretations of the image and the surrounding events. This paper focuses on how the media discourse of this moment reflects views about the expression of…
Life interrupted instead of disrupted
The present study uses Buzzanell’s (2018 Buzzanell, P. M. (2018). Communication theory of resilience: Enacting adaptive-transformative processes when families experience loss and disruption. In D. O. Braithwaite, E. A. Suter, & K. Floyd (Eds.), Engaging theories in family communication (2nd ed., pp. 98–109). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315204321-9 [Google Scholar]) communication theory of resilience (CTR) to explore the triggers that H…
What counts as an acceptable reason for not communicating emotional support
This study investigated assessments of the acceptability of and negative relational implications for the reasons given for someone not providing emotional support. A representative sample of U.S. adults ( N = 1598) participated in a survey experiment that included thinking of a person from whom they would expect such support, imagining that they did not receive support from this person, and being shown one of 16 reasons to explain the nonsupport.…
Rapping About Rap
This article examines adolescent reports of parental mediation of hip-hop music videos, a medium that has been celebrated for its artistry and empowering youth, yet criticized for stereotyped portrayals of women and men. Survey data of 315 adolescents (M age = 15.2, SD = 1.73) investigated the relationship between adolescent reports of viewing hip-hop music videos, parent-child communication about these videos, and attitudes about gender and the …
Talking about mindfulness
Improving cancer caregivers’ emotion regulation and supportive message characteristics
This study tested whether a 17-day randomized controlled expressive writing (EW) intervention improved cancer caregivers’ emotion regulation ability and if improved emotion regulation predicted increases in verbal person-centered message characteristics present in caregivers’ recalled support conversations with cancer survivors. Participants (N = 64) were spousal caregivers of hematopoietic stem cell transplant cancer survivors assigned to one of…
Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is hard to define but is often said to be all those modes of communicating other than words or a parallel way to process social stimuli alongside language cues. The nonverbal communication system comprises facial expressions, body movements, vocalic or paralinguistic cues, personal and environmental space, objects, time, physical appearance, and smell/odor. These nonverbal modes perform important functions for us, such as …
When Family Talk is Difficult
In this article, we assess transcripts of interviews with 55 people who participated in end-of-life conversations with a family member or relationally close other. Nonverbal cues are studied often for the diverse meanings that can be given to them, and this study reports strong qualitative evidence that nonverbal cues can be understood as performing important communicative functions in this context. These perceived functions were categorized as r…
Minding Your Matters
This exploratory study sought to uncover whether trait mindfulness, an individual's aptitude for focusing on the present moment while refraining from passing negative judgments or processing external cues in a habitual manner, is predictive of more constructive and less destructive approaches to relational conflict. In addition, we looked at its predictive role in relational satisfaction and commitment. Ninety-one participants completed self-repo…
When a Small Thing Means so Much
This paper investigates reports of transformative nonverbal behaviors: cues that act as important interactional triggers for a change in or between people in a relationship. To explore such behaviors, we asked participants to report on any situation in which they recalled one or more nonverbal cues that they or others used and that changed something for them. The most commonly reported nonverbal cues that instigated transformation were facial exp…
The Sage Handbook of Nonverbal Communication
Do Unto Others
Following Goffman (1955, 1967), we coded the primary types of challenges, offerings, and evaluations from interactions between friends who discussed a previous failure event by the speaker. We analyzed the codes—and the complexity of the sequences—for differences in participants’ judgments of attentiveness toward other-face. Not every accounting form resulted in significant differences; nevertheless, either the speakers or their partners perceive…
What's in a Story? The Relationship Between Narrative Completeness and Adjustment to Relationship Dissolution
The construction of narratives has been shown to assist sufferers of emotional or traumatic events - such as the ending of relationships - in making sense of and coming to terms with the event. Despite this connection, few studies have explored how the completeness of the narratives contributes to positive outcomes. Building on research in both communication and psychology, we conceptualized a complete narrative as one that clearly and extensivel…
"Are You Kidding Me?"
This article reports on an investigation of 78 interactions for the messages sent by nonverbal cues in account sequences. Account elicitations and evaluations were rated based on vocal and facial behaviors communicating five messages: (a) positive or negative affect, (b) certainty or uncertainty, (c) understanding or confusion, (d) agreement or disagreement, and (e) belief or disbelief. We also coded the accounters' discourse that followed elicit…
“Are You Kidding Me?”
This article reports on an investigation of 78 interactions for the messages sent by nonverbal cues in account sequences. Account elicitations and evaluations were rated based on vocal and facial behaviors communicating five messages: (a) positive or negative affect, (b) certainty or uncertainty, (c) understanding or confusion, (d) agreement or disagreement, and (e) belief or disbelief. We also coded the accounters' discourse that followed elicit…
Managing Face Concerns in Criticism Integrating Nonverbal Behaviors as a Dimension of Politeness in Female Friendship Dyads
Journal Article Managing Face Concerns in Criticism: Integrating Nonverbal Behaviors as a Dimension of Politeness in Female Friendship Dyads Get access April R. Trees, April R. Trees 1April R. Trees is a doctoral student in the Department of Speech Communication, University of Washington Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Valerie Manusov Valerie Manusov 2Valerie Manusov is associate professor in the Departmen…
Acting out our minds
This article presents an observational study designed to investigate the role of expectancies and behaviors during cross‐cultural interactions. In a partial test of several cognition‐based models, the study provided more support for associations between individuating behaviors (involvement, verbal openness, and nonverbal cue congruence) and post‐interaction evaluations than between expectancies (reported knowledge and attitudes) and evaluations, …
Changing Explanations
(1996). Changing Explanations: The Process of Account-Making Over Time. Research on Language and Social Interaction: Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 155-179
When Hearing's Not Believing
This article compares respondents' beliefs about others' private and public explanations for failure to fulfill two compliance-gaining goals: providing assistance and accepting advice. Participants generated open-ended responses that were either acceptable accounts (public explanations) or probable causes (private attributions) for another's noncompliance. Data analysis showed that attributions and accounts tend to vary in form, and, as expected,…
Reacting to Changes in Nonverbal Behaviors Relational Satisfaction and Adaptation Patterns in Romantic Dyads
Journal Article Reacting to Changes in Nonverbal Behaviors: Relational Satisfaction and Adaptation Patterns in Romantic Dyads Get access Valerie Manusov Valerie Manusov 1Manusov (Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1989) is an assistant professor at the University of Washington Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Human Communication Research, Volume 21, Issue 4, June 1995, Pages 456–477, https://doi.org/…
An application of attribution principles to nonverbal behavior in romantic dyads
This article suggests ways in which attribution theories can explain the interpretation processes involved in understanding nonverbal behavior. An experiment examined attribution choices for nonverbal messages between romantic partners. Couples (N = 63) were videotaped while playing a game of “Trivial Pursuit.” During the interaction, one member of the dyad manipulated his or her nonverbal behaviors to appear positive at one point and negative at…
What's in a Story? The Relationship Between Narrative Completeness and Adjustment to Relationship Dissolution
The construction of narratives has been shown to assist sufferers of emotional or traumatic events - such as the ending of relationships - in making sense of and coming to terms with the event. Despite this connection, few studies have explored how the completeness of the narratives contributes to positive outcomes. Building on research in both communication and psychology, we conceptualized a complete narrative as one that clearly and extensivel…
Managing Face Concerns in Criticism Integrating Nonverbal Behaviors as a Dimension of Politeness in Female Friendship Dyads
Journal Article Managing Face Concerns in Criticism: Integrating Nonverbal Behaviors as a Dimension of Politeness in Female Friendship Dyads Get access April R. Trees, April R. Trees 1April R. Trees is a doctoral student in the Department of Speech Communication, University of Washington Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Valerie Manusov Valerie Manusov 2Valerie Manusov is associate professor in the Departmen…
Do Unto Others
Following Goffman (1955, 1967), we coded the primary types of challenges, offerings, and evaluations from interactions between friends who discussed a previous failure event by the speaker. We analyzed the codes—and the complexity of the sequences—for differences in participants’ judgments of attentiveness toward other-face. Not every accounting form resulted in significant differences; nevertheless, either the speakers or their partners perceive…
Reacting to Changes in Nonverbal Behaviors Relational Satisfaction and Adaptation Patterns in Romantic Dyads
Journal Article Reacting to Changes in Nonverbal Behaviors: Relational Satisfaction and Adaptation Patterns in Romantic Dyads Get access Valerie Manusov Valerie Manusov 1Manusov (Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1989) is an assistant professor at the University of Washington Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Human Communication Research, Volume 21, Issue 4, June 1995, Pages 456–477, https://doi.org/…
An application of attribution principles to nonverbal behavior in romantic dyads
This article suggests ways in which attribution theories can explain the interpretation processes involved in understanding nonverbal behavior. An experiment examined attribution choices for nonverbal messages between romantic partners. Couples (N = 63) were videotaped while playing a game of “Trivial Pursuit.” During the interaction, one member of the dyad manipulated his or her nonverbal behaviors to appear positive at one point and negative at…
Minding Your Matters
This exploratory study sought to uncover whether trait mindfulness, an individual's aptitude for focusing on the present moment while refraining from passing negative judgments or processing external cues in a habitual manner, is predictive of more constructive and less destructive approaches to relational conflict. In addition, we looked at its predictive role in relational satisfaction and commitment. Ninety-one participants completed self-repo…
Acting out our minds
This article presents an observational study designed to investigate the role of expectancies and behaviors during cross‐cultural interactions. In a partial test of several cognition‐based models, the study provided more support for associations between individuating behaviors (involvement, verbal openness, and nonverbal cue congruence) and post‐interaction evaluations than between expectancies (reported knowledge and attitudes) and evaluations, …
Building resilience in response to identity-based discrimination through in person and online communication
This study investigates resilience processes in the context of identity-based discrimination through the lens of the communication theory of resilience (CTR). Participants enacted all CTR processes delineated in the theory utilizing both in-person and online communication when facing six identity-related triggers. Participants described how social media, virtual tools, and online communities empowered them to adapt each communicative resilience (…
When Family Talk is Difficult
In this article, we assess transcripts of interviews with 55 people who participated in end-of-life conversations with a family member or relationally close other. Nonverbal cues are studied often for the diverse meanings that can be given to them, and this study reports strong qualitative evidence that nonverbal cues can be understood as performing important communicative functions in this context. These perceived functions were categorized as r…
Talking about mindfulness
When a Small Thing Means so Much
This paper investigates reports of transformative nonverbal behaviors: cues that act as important interactional triggers for a change in or between people in a relationship. To explore such behaviors, we asked participants to report on any situation in which they recalled one or more nonverbal cues that they or others used and that changed something for them. The most commonly reported nonverbal cues that instigated transformation were facial exp…
Changing Explanations
(1996). Changing Explanations: The Process of Account-Making Over Time. Research on Language and Social Interaction: Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 155-179
Improving cancer caregivers’ emotion regulation and supportive message characteristics
This study tested whether a 17-day randomized controlled expressive writing (EW) intervention improved cancer caregivers’ emotion regulation ability and if improved emotion regulation predicted increases in verbal person-centered message characteristics present in caregivers’ recalled support conversations with cancer survivors. Participants (N = 64) were spousal caregivers of hematopoietic stem cell transplant cancer survivors assigned to one of…
An application of attribution principles to nonverbal behavior in romantic dyads
This article suggests ways in which attribution theories can explain the interpretation processes involved in understanding nonverbal behavior. An experiment examined attribution choices for nonverbal messages between romantic partners. Couples (N = 63) were videotaped while playing a game of “Trivial Pursuit.” During the interaction, one member of the dyad manipulated his or her nonverbal behaviors to appear positive at one point and negative at…
Reacting to Changes in Nonverbal Behaviors Relational Satisfaction and Adaptation Patterns in Romantic Dyads
Journal Article Reacting to Changes in Nonverbal Behaviors: Relational Satisfaction and Adaptation Patterns in Romantic Dyads Get access Valerie Manusov Valerie Manusov 1Manusov (Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1989) is an assistant professor at the University of Washington Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Human Communication Research, Volume 21, Issue 4, June 1995, Pages 456–477, https://doi.org/…
Changing Explanations
(1996). Changing Explanations: The Process of Account-Making Over Time. Research on Language and Social Interaction: Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 155-179
When Hearing's Not Believing
This article compares respondents' beliefs about others' private and public explanations for failure to fulfill two compliance-gaining goals: providing assistance and accepting advice. Participants generated open-ended responses that were either acceptable accounts (public explanations) or probable causes (private attributions) for another's noncompliance. Data analysis showed that attributions and accounts tend to vary in form, and, as expected,…
Acting out our minds
This article presents an observational study designed to investigate the role of expectancies and behaviors during cross‐cultural interactions. In a partial test of several cognition‐based models, the study provided more support for associations between individuating behaviors (involvement, verbal openness, and nonverbal cue congruence) and post‐interaction evaluations than between expectancies (reported knowledge and attitudes) and evaluations, …
Managing Face Concerns in Criticism Integrating Nonverbal Behaviors as a Dimension of Politeness in Female Friendship Dyads
Journal Article Managing Face Concerns in Criticism: Integrating Nonverbal Behaviors as a Dimension of Politeness in Female Friendship Dyads Get access April R. Trees, April R. Trees 1April R. Trees is a doctoral student in the Department of Speech Communication, University of Washington Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Valerie Manusov Valerie Manusov 2Valerie Manusov is associate professor in the Departmen…
"Are You Kidding Me?"
This article reports on an investigation of 78 interactions for the messages sent by nonverbal cues in account sequences. Account elicitations and evaluations were rated based on vocal and facial behaviors communicating five messages: (a) positive or negative affect, (b) certainty or uncertainty, (c) understanding or confusion, (d) agreement or disagreement, and (e) belief or disbelief. We also coded the accounters' discourse that followed elicit…
“Are You Kidding Me?”
This article reports on an investigation of 78 interactions for the messages sent by nonverbal cues in account sequences. Account elicitations and evaluations were rated based on vocal and facial behaviors communicating five messages: (a) positive or negative affect, (b) certainty or uncertainty, (c) understanding or confusion, (d) agreement or disagreement, and (e) belief or disbelief. We also coded the accounters' discourse that followed elicit…
What's in a Story? The Relationship Between Narrative Completeness and Adjustment to Relationship Dissolution
The construction of narratives has been shown to assist sufferers of emotional or traumatic events - such as the ending of relationships - in making sense of and coming to terms with the event. Despite this connection, few studies have explored how the completeness of the narratives contributes to positive outcomes. Building on research in both communication and psychology, we conceptualized a complete narrative as one that clearly and extensivel…
Do Unto Others
Following Goffman (1955, 1967), we coded the primary types of challenges, offerings, and evaluations from interactions between friends who discussed a previous failure event by the speaker. We analyzed the codes—and the complexity of the sequences—for differences in participants’ judgments of attentiveness toward other-face. Not every accounting form resulted in significant differences; nevertheless, either the speakers or their partners perceive…
The Sage Handbook of Nonverbal Communication
When a Small Thing Means so Much
This paper investigates reports of transformative nonverbal behaviors: cues that act as important interactional triggers for a change in or between people in a relationship. To explore such behaviors, we asked participants to report on any situation in which they recalled one or more nonverbal cues that they or others used and that changed something for them. The most commonly reported nonverbal cues that instigated transformation were facial exp…
When Family Talk is Difficult
In this article, we assess transcripts of interviews with 55 people who participated in end-of-life conversations with a family member or relationally close other. Nonverbal cues are studied often for the diverse meanings that can be given to them, and this study reports strong qualitative evidence that nonverbal cues can be understood as performing important communicative functions in this context. These perceived functions were categorized as r…
Minding Your Matters
This exploratory study sought to uncover whether trait mindfulness, an individual's aptitude for focusing on the present moment while refraining from passing negative judgments or processing external cues in a habitual manner, is predictive of more constructive and less destructive approaches to relational conflict. In addition, we looked at its predictive role in relational satisfaction and commitment. Ninety-one participants completed self-repo…
Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is hard to define but is often said to be all those modes of communicating other than words or a parallel way to process social stimuli alongside language cues. The nonverbal communication system comprises facial expressions, body movements, vocalic or paralinguistic cues, personal and environmental space, objects, time, physical appearance, and smell/odor. These nonverbal modes perform important functions for us, such as …
Improving cancer caregivers’ emotion regulation and supportive message characteristics
This study tested whether a 17-day randomized controlled expressive writing (EW) intervention improved cancer caregivers’ emotion regulation ability and if improved emotion regulation predicted increases in verbal person-centered message characteristics present in caregivers’ recalled support conversations with cancer survivors. Participants (N = 64) were spousal caregivers of hematopoietic stem cell transplant cancer survivors assigned to one of…
Talking about mindfulness
Rapping About Rap
This article examines adolescent reports of parental mediation of hip-hop music videos, a medium that has been celebrated for its artistry and empowering youth, yet criticized for stereotyped portrayals of women and men. Survey data of 315 adolescents (M age = 15.2, SD = 1.73) investigated the relationship between adolescent reports of viewing hip-hop music videos, parent-child communication about these videos, and attitudes about gender and the …
Pelosi, Pointing, and Power
This study examines 59 online articles written about a photograph of Nancy Pelosi standing up in the White House cabinet room and pointing her finger toward Donald Trump. Trump released the photo and tweeted his own interpretation of it; online articles followed discussing descriptions and/or interpretations of the image and the surrounding events. This paper focuses on how the media discourse of this moment reflects views about the expression of…
Life interrupted instead of disrupted
The present study uses Buzzanell’s (2018 Buzzanell, P. M. (2018). Communication theory of resilience: Enacting adaptive-transformative processes when families experience loss and disruption. In D. O. Braithwaite, E. A. Suter, & K. Floyd (Eds.), Engaging theories in family communication (2nd ed., pp. 98–109). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315204321-9 [Google Scholar]) communication theory of resilience (CTR) to explore the triggers that H…
What counts as an acceptable reason for not communicating emotional support
This study investigated assessments of the acceptability of and negative relational implications for the reasons given for someone not providing emotional support. A representative sample of U.S. adults ( N = 1598) participated in a survey experiment that included thinking of a person from whom they would expect such support, imagining that they did not receive support from this person, and being shown one of 16 reasons to explain the nonsupport.…
Facilitated Contact
The contact hypothesis purports that intergroup interactions under particular conversational conditions are more likely to lead to positive outcomes, including a decrease in prejudice. Extending the contact hypothesis by conceptualizing conditions as unfolding communicative processes, we held focus group/interviews with 35 facilitators from 14 community organizations that conduct interracial conversations about race. We used thematic analysis to …
Building resilience in response to identity-based discrimination through in person and online communication
This study investigates resilience processes in the context of identity-based discrimination through the lens of the communication theory of resilience (CTR). Participants enacted all CTR processes delineated in the theory utilizing both in-person and online communication when facing six identity-related triggers. Participants described how social media, virtual tools, and online communities empowered them to adapt each communicative resilience (…
Modeling the Potential Effectiveness of Low Person-Centered Emotional Support
Low person-centered (LPC) emotional support messages have been associated consistently with poor outcomes for message recipients because such messages typically blame the recipient and invalidate or ignore their emotions. Using the dual-process theory of supportive communication as its basis, this study proposed a model in which the detrimental effects of LPC messages may be weakened (and the potential for positive results strengthened) by a comb…
How Sweet It Is
Psychology (23 works) · Social Psychology (19 works) · Developmental psychology (12 works) · Social Psychology (12 works) · Nonverbal communication (10 works) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (8 works) · Cognitive psychology (8 works) · Communication (8 works) · Computer Science (8 works) · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies (7 works)