Otherwise, I wouldn't be subjecting myself to hundreds of doltish profiles about candlelight and fine dining and walks on the beach. Though it would seem that someone likable online would be likable offline, Mr. Teig found no connection. It's more of a vibe. Social psychologists have already figured that out. Ill. Words are largely irrelevant in determining rapport, he said.
Nonverbal communication is what counts.
With nonverbals, there's motion and activity. He conducted a study in which 100 people were paired off in opposite-sex couples and given a simple task to perform. Afterward, the participants rated the rapport they developed during their conversation. Dr. Grahe then had observers try to determine the rapport between the participants either by reading a transcript of their conversations, by listening to an audiotape or by watching a videotape with no sound. The observers most accurately assessed the rapport between the couples by viewing the soundless videotape.