
Marvin A. Hecht
I am social psychologist who is now working in the high-tech industry, as part of a user interface group. My social psychological research (still being published) focuses on the psychological processes that occur during face-to-face interaction. I am particularly interested in how people's psychological experience translates into their nonverbal behavior, including what consequence this might have for the continuation and nature of the social interaction. Brown (1967) suggested that interpersonal interactions can be oriented along either a hierarchical dimension, which reflects status differences, or a horizontal dimension, which reflects solidarity or closeness. It is in the context of this framework that I am examining the role that several subtle but powerful nonverbal cues play in moderating and negotiating social interaction. In many ways, nonverbal cues are ideal for negotiating social interaction because they can be used to get a message across but can also be denied since they are off-the-record.
Primary Interests:
- Applied Social Psychology
- Communication, Language
- Emotion, Mood, Affect
- Gender Psychology
- Helping, Prosocial Behavior
- Interpersonal Processes
- Nonverbal Behavior
- Person Perception
- Personality, Individual Differences
- Persuasion, Social Influence
Research Group or Laboratory:
- Nonverbal Communication Research Group
Journal Articles:
- Hecht, M. A. (1991). Effect of car status on helping behavior in the parking lot. Psychological Reports, 68, 899-907.
- Hecht, M. A., & LaFrance, M. (1995). How (fast) can I help you? Tone of voice and telephone operator efficiency in interactions. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 25, 2086-2098.
- LaFrance, M., & Hecht, M. A. (1995). Why smiles generate leniency. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 207-214.
- LaFrance, M., Hecht, M. A., & Paluck, B. (in press). The contingent smile: A meta-analysis of gender and smiling. Psychological Bulletin.
- Snodgrass, S. E., Hecht, M. A., & Ploutz-Snyder, R. (1990). Interpersonal sensitivity: Perceptivity or expressivity? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Courses Taught:
- Introduction to Graduate Study in the Social Sciences
- The Psychology of Nonverbal Communication
Marvin A. Hecht
Oracle Corporation
Mailstop 2op240a
500 Oracle Parkway
Redwood Shores, California 94065
United States of America
- Phone: (650) 607-5347
- Fax: (650) 506-7405