Decoding Human Nonverbal Communication: Does Experience with Horses Enhance Skill Level?

Abstract

This study explored whether experience with horses affected levels of human nonverbal sensitivity. I hypothesized that individuals with more experience with horses would have a higher sense of nonverbal sensitivity. Undergraduate students (N = 87; 55 female, 31 male, 1 other) participated in a quasi-experimental research design. Participants completed the Mini Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity test (Mini Pons; Banziger, Scherer, Hall, & Rosenthal, 2011), the Perceived Decoding Ability Self-analysis (PDA; Zuckerman & Larrance, 1979), and a demographic survey. Results of a one-way ANOVA with each measure were not significant; however, the results directionally supported my original hypothesis. Results show that participants with no experience with horses had the lowest level of nonverbal sensitivity, participants with several years of experience with horses had higher levels of nonverbal sensitivity than those without experience with horses, and finally participants with more than five years of experience with horses had the highest level of nonverbal sensitivity. While experience with horses seems to be influential to human nonverbal sensitivity, the nature of the relationship between amount of experience with horses and ability to communicate well with other humans requires continued exploration. Future investigation of this relationship may be beneficial in supporting theories behind incorporating horses into a therapeutic setting.