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The interrelationships of self-monitoring factors, personality traits, and nonverbal social skills

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Abstract

Following recent developments concerning individual differences in nonverbal social skills, the present study examined the inter-relationships of several standardized measures of nonverbal skills and personality. Particular attention was given to the concept of self-monitoring, thought to be a skill central to social interaction. Based on previous research which suggested that self-monitoring, as measured by the Self-Monitoring Scale (SMS), is a multidimensional construct, it was hypothesized that self-monitoring may actually be comprised of a number of more basic social skills. Correlations between standardized measures of basic social skills and three factors obtained from factor analysis of the SMS (Briggs, Cheek, & Buss, 1980) supported this conception. The elements of self-monitoring appear to be “charisma,” “performance,” and “social sensitivity.”

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This research was supported by NIMH Grant #RO3MH31453 and intramural research grants from UC Riverside to the second author (H.S.F.). We would like to thank Keith Widaman, Judith A. Hall, and Louise Prince.

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Riggio, R.E., Friedman, H.S. The interrelationships of self-monitoring factors, personality traits, and nonverbal social skills. J Nonverbal Behav 7, 33–45 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01001776

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