The ability to communicate one's emotions to friends and associates in an appropriate and efficient manner is an important skill for healthy social interaction. Although it is now reasonably clear that emotions are often communicated through nonverbal communication, there is little systematic research on nonverbal expressiveness. In large part, this deficiency is due to the absence of a clear and simple measurement technique. The proposed research will conceptually refine and empirically validate a test of affective communication skills. The research will follow the necessary steps to construct a reliable and valid paper and pencil measure of nonverbal expressiveness. The methods involved include: 1. generating items and administering them to a large number of people in order to distill an internally consistent scale; 2. searching for scale differences in expressiveness among groups known to differ in relevant characteristics; and 3. laboratory analysis of selected individuals with audio tape, videotape, and questionnaire measures in order to specify precise components of expressiveness. In the course of the validation studies, a number of theoretical questions concerning the social psychological meaning and importance of nonverbal expressiveness will be addressed.