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explanations of non-verbal behaviour

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4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

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Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: explanations of non-verbal behaviour

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about explanations of non-verbal behaviour. Then check against the key terms: Psychology Exam Tips. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Psychology Exam Tips.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: explanations of non-verbal behaviour. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Psychology because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: Compare evolutionary and cultural explanations of non-verbal behaviour.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about explanations of non-verbal behaviour.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: explanations of non-verbal behaviour

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on explanations of non-verbal behaviour. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: Evolutionary explanations: NVC evolved because it helped survival. Darwin argued that facial expressions evolved from useful actions (e.g. baring teeth in anger originally prepared for biting). Universal expressions suggest an evolutionary origin shared across cultures.
Key Fact: Innate explanations: NVC is biologically programmed. Evidence: Ekman's universal facial expressions; blind individuals show similar facial expressions despite never seeing them (Matsumoto & Hwang); infants smile and cry without learning.
Key Fact: Cultural explanations: NVC is learned through socialisation. Evidence: display rules vary across cultures; specific gestures (emblems) have different meanings in different cultures; proxemics vary by culture (Latin American cultures use less space than Northern European).
Key Fact: Yuki's study (2007): compared how American and Japanese participants interpreted emotional expressions using eyes vs mouths. Japanese participants relied more on eyes (cultural emphasis on reading subtle eye cues in a collectivist culture), while Americans relied more on mouths. This demonstrates that NVC interpretation is culturally shaped.
Key Fact: Interactionist view: NVC has innate foundations (universal expressions) but is shaped by cultural learning (display rules, gestures, proxemics). The evolutionary basis provides a starting point; culture refines and modifies expression.
Psychology Exam Tips: When evaluating NVC explanations, always consider both nature and nurture. No single explanation fully accounts for the evidence - the interactionist position (innate basis + cultural modification) is most supported.

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: Compare evolutionary and cultural explanations of non-verbal behaviour.

Answer: Evolutionary: NVC evolved for survival (e.g. expressions signal intent, eye contact signals threat). Supported by universality and blind individuals showing expressions. Cultural: NVC is learned through socialisation. Supported by cultural differences in display rules, gestures, and proxemics. Both contribute - NVC has an innate basis modified by cultural learning.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: explanations of non-verbal behaviour

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: Psychology Exam Tips. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Q1: Compare evolutionary and cultural explanations of non-verbal behaviour.

Answer: Evolutionary: NVC evolved for survival (e.g. expressions signal intent, eye contact signals threat). Supported by universality and blind individuals showing expressions. Cultural: NVC is learned through socialisation. Supported by cultural differences in display rules, gestures, and proxemics. Both contribute - NVC has an innate basis modified by cultural learning.

Q2: Describe Yuki's study on cultural differences in interpreting facial expressions and evaluate its methodology.

Answer: Yuki (2007): American and Japanese participants judged emotions from eyes vs mouths. Americans relied more on mouths (expressive, open culture); Japanese relied more on eyes (subtle cues matter in collectivist culture). Evaluation: controlled methodology, but used static images rather than real interaction; samples were university students (limited generalisability); demonstrates cultural shaping of NVC interpretation.

Q3: Discuss whether non-verbal behaviour is primarily innate or learned.

Answer: Innate evidence: universal facial expressions (Ekman); blind individuals show same expressions; infants express emotions without learning. Learned evidence: display rules vary; gestures differ by culture; Yuki's study shows interpretation is cultural. Conclusion: NVC is primarily innate in its basic forms but extensively shaped by cultural learning. An interactionist position best explains the evidence.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: explanations of non-verbal behaviour

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Extended Answer

Extended question: Full-Mark Response Evaluate whether non-verbal behaviour is better explained by evolutionary or cultural factors. <div class="

A grade 9 response will: outline evolutionary explanations (universal expressions, survival value, blind individuals); outline cultural explanations (display rules, gestures, proxemics, Yuki's study); evaluate evolutionary (strong universality evidence but cannot explain cultural variation); evaluate cultural (explains variation but cannot explain universal expressions in blind individuals); conclude: NVC has innate evolutionary foundations that are shaped by cultural learning - neither explanation alone is sufficient. The interactionist position provides the most complete account.

Exam Tips: Evolutionary = NVC evolved for survival. Cultural = NVC is learned through socialisation. | Innate evidence: universal expressions + blind people + infants. Cultural evidence: display rules + gestures + proxemics. | Yuki: Japanese read EYES. Americans read MOUTHS. Culture shapes interpretation.
Common Errors: Watch Out! Students often make mistakes here. Wrong: Facial expressions are entirely learned, which is why they differ across all cultures. Correct: While display rules and specific gestures differ across cultures, the six basic facial expressions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust) are recognised universally, including in remote tribes with minimal Western contact (Ekman's Fore tribe study). This strongly suggests a biological foundation. Culture modifies HOW and WHEN expressions are displayed, but the underlying expressions are innate.
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how explanations of non-verbal behaviour connects to another Psychology topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of explanations of non-verbal behaviour
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in explanations of non-verbal behaviour?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

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