ABSTRACT
Abundant nonverbal and verbal literature tells us that men's and women's non-verbal expressions differ in many ways (Burgoon, Buller, & Woodall, 1996; Hall, 1984; Tannen, 1994). For example, women tend to smile and gaze more, to be more approachable and expressive, but also less relaxed and more closed off posturally than men. Conceivably, these differences could result in different forms of deception displays. Women's pleasant, immediate style might aid them in strategically creating a favorable image. Conversely, their lack of relaxation and greater expressiveness might result in being perceived as nervous or uncomfortable and hence less credible. However, the fact that many studies have failed to find gender differences in actual nonverbal cue displays (Burgoon, 1991; Burgoon, Le Poire, & Rosenthal, 1995; Miller et al., 1981; Riggio & Friedman, 1983) or in general demeanor (Duncan & Kalbfleisch, 1995; Riggio, Tucker, & Throckmorton, 1987) suggests that the extent of sex differences might be overstated.
