Nora A. Murphy

Biography

Dr. Murphy is a social psychologist who studies nonverbal behavior, first impressions, and person perception accuracy. Much of her research involves the use of “thin-slices,” which are brief video clips of social interactions, to investigate how emotions, personality, and nonverbal behavior shape social outcomes. She also has a methodological interest in meta-analysis, which is a statistical modeling technique designed to synthesize data across multiple studies.

Dr. Murphy is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior and a Consulting Editor for Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. She holds fellowship status in the Association for Psychological Science, Society for Experimental Social Psychology, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and Western Psychological Association. In 2019, she completed a graduate certificate in Data Science at UCLA Extension.

Education (3)

Northeastern University: Ph.D., Experimental Psychology (Social/Personality) 2003

Northeastern University: M.A., Experimental Psychology (Social/Personality) 2000

Trinity College (CT): B.Sc., Major: Psychology, Minor: Women's Studies 1996

Social

Areas of Expertise (13)

Interpersonal and Intergroup Processes

Personality

Nonverbal Communication and Personal Perception

SPSS

Meta-Analysis

Research Methods

Person perception

Emotions

Nonverbal Behavior

Lifespan Development

Social Psychology

Psychology

Social Cognition & Communication

Industry Expertise (6)

Publishing

Writing and Editing

Education/Learning

Research

Program Development

Professional Training and Coaching

Accomplishments (8)

Graduate Certificate in Data Science (professional)

2019-06-01

UCLA Extension

Fellow of the Association Psychological Science (professional)

2024-02-01

APS is the scientific home of thousands of leading psychological science researchers, practitioners, teachers, and students from around the world.

Fellow of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (professional)

2019-08-01

World’s largest organization of social and personality psychologists, dedicated to advancing the science, teaching, and application of social and personality psychology.

Phi Kappa Phi (professional)

Interdisciplinary National Honor Society

Fellow of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology (professional)

2012-12-31

The Society of Experimental Social Psychology (SESP) is an international scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of social psychological research.

Pi Gamma Mu (professional)

International Honor Society in Social Sciences

Fellow of the Western Psychological Association (professional)

2022-02-01

Founded in 1921, the Western Psychological Association (WPA) is a professional organization dedicated to promoting processes of research and scholarship in the behavioral sciences.

Psi Chi (professional)

National Honor Society in Psychology

Affiliations (5)

• Association for Psychological Science
• Society of Experimental Social Psychology
• Society for Personality and Social Psychology
• Society for the Teaching of Psychology
• Social Psychology Network

Links (9)

• Wall Street Journal: How to Look Smarter
• The Angry Age: The Political Divide Between “Us” and “Them”i
• What's Not Said: Body Language in Debate (Loyola Marymount University online video)
• TIME Magazine: What People Assume When They First Meet You According to Science
• Business Insider: 12 Things People Decide Within Seconds of Meeting You
• The Independent: 9 science-backed tricks for appearing smarter than you are
• The Telegraph: Seven ways to appear more intelligent than other people
• Atlanta Agent Magazine: The 4 Professional Behaviors that Make You Look Smart – and the 4 that Don’t
• LMU Magazine: A Conversation: Nora Murphy

Courses (6)

General Psychology

General Psychology

Research Methods

Research Methods

Lifespan Development

Lifespan Development

Advanced Research Methods

Advanced Research Methods

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination seminar

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination seminar

Careers in Psychology

How to pursue careers in Psychology and related fields

Articles (18)

The Human Affectome

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

Schiller, D., Yu, A. N. C., Alia-Klein, N., Becker, S., Cromwell, H. C., Dolcos, F., … Lowe, L.

2024-03-01

Schiller, D., Yu, A. N. C., Alia-Klein, N., Becker, S., Cromwell, H. C., Dolcos, F., … Lowe, L. (2024). The Human Affectome. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 158, 105450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105450

The judgment of personality: An overview of current empirical research findings

Personality Science

Letzring, T., Murphy, N. A., Allik, J., Beer, A., Zimmerman, J., & Leising, D. (2021). The judgment of personality: An overview of current empirical research findings. Personality Science, 2, e6043. https://doi.org/10.5964/ps.6043

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Capturing behavior in small doses: A review of comparative research in evaluating thin slices for behavioral measurement

Frontiers in Psychology

Murphy, N. A., & Hall, J. A. (2021). Capturing behavior in small doses: A review of comparative research in evaluating thin slices for behavioral measurement. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 667326. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.667326

A meta-analysis of the relationship between emotion recognition ability and intelligence

Cognition and Emotion

Schlagel, K., Schmid Mast, M., Palese, T., Rammsayer, T., Murphy, N. A., & Hall, J. A. (2020). A meta-analysis of the relationship between emotion recognition ability and intelligence. Cognition and Emotion, 34(2), 329-351. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2019.1632801

Nonverbal communication

Annual Review of Psychology

Hall, J. A., Horgan, T., & Murphy, N. A. (2019). Nonverbal communication. Annual Review of Psychology, 70, 271-294. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-103145

Predictive validity of thin-slice nonverbal behavior from social interactions

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Murphy, N. A., Hall, J. A., Ruben, M. A., Frauendorfer, D., Schmid Mast, M., Johnson, K., E., & Nguyen, L. (2019). Predictive validity of thin-slice nonverbal behavior from social interactions. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45(7), 983-993. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218802834

Using thin slices to investigate impression formation and to measure interpersonal behavior from recorded social interactions

SAGE Research Methods Cases

Murphy, N. A. (2018). Using thin slices to investigate impression formation and to measure interpersonal behavior from recorded social interactions. In SAGE Research Methods Cases. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526437464

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Would a Basic Income Guarantee reduce the motivation to work? An analysis of labor responses in 16 trial programs

Basic Income Studies

Gilbert, R. L., & Murphy, N. A., Stepka, A., Barrett, M., & Worku, D. (2018). Would a Basic Income Guarantee reduce the motivation to work? An analysis of labor responses in 16 trial programs. Basic Income Studies, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.1515/bis-2018-0011

Nonverbal self-accuracy: Individual differences in knowing one’s own social interaction behavior

Personality and Individual Differences

2016-10-01

Murphy, N. A., Schmid Mast, M., & Hall, J. A. (2016). Nonverbal self-accuracy: Individual differences in knowing one’s own social interaction behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 101, 30-34. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.05.023

What we know and the future of accuracy research

The Social Psychology of Perceiving Others Accurately

Murphy, N. A. (2016). What we know and the future of accuracy research. In J. A. Hall, M. Schmid Mast, & West, T. V. (Eds.), The social psychology of perceiving others accurately. Cambridge University Press.

Reliability and validity of nonverbal thin slices in social interactions

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Murphy, N. A., Hall, J. A., Schmid Mast, M., Ruben, M., Frauendorfer, D., Blanch-Hartigan, D., Roter, D. L., & Nguyen, L. (2015). Reliability and validity of nonverbal thin slices in social interactions. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41, 199-213. doi: 10.1177/0146167214559902

Psychology Island: A case study of interdisciplinary education in a 3D virtual world

Virtual Worlds in Online Learning: Cases and Applications

Gilbert, R. L., Dionisio, J. D. N., & Murphy, N. A. (2015). Psychology Island: A case study of interdisciplinary education in a 3D virtual world (pp. 121-134). In S. Gregory, M. J. W. Lee, B. Dalgarno, & B. Tynan (Eds.), Virtual worlds in online learning: Cases and applications. Hauppauge, NY: NOVA Science

Predicting future intelligence and scholastic success with a single item: From early childhood to adulthood

Journal of Intelligence

Dunkel, C. S., & Murphy, N. A. (2014). Predicting future intelligence and scholastic success with a single item: From early childhood to adulthood. Journal of Intelligence, 2, 68-81. doi: 10.3390/jintelligence2030068

Nonverbal perception

The SAGE Handbook of Social Cognition

Murphy, N. A. (2012). Nonverbal perception. In S. T. Fiske & C. N. Macrae (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of social cognition (pp. 196-215). London: SAGE Publications.

Intelligence and interpersonal sensitivity: A meta-analysis

Intelligence

Murphy, N. A., & Hall, J. A.

2011-01-01

Murphy, N. A., & Hall, J. A. (2011). Intelligence and interpersonal sensitivity: A meta-analysis. Intelligence, 39, 54-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2010.10.001

Recognition of posed and spontaneous dynamic smiles in young and older adults.

Psychology and Aging

Murphy, N. A., Lehrfeld, J. M., & Isaacowitz, D. M.

2010-01-01

Murphy, N. A., Lehrfeld, J. M., & Isaacowitz, D. M. (2010). Recognition of posed and spontaneous dynamic smiles in young and older adults. Psychology and Aging, 25(4), 811-821. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019888

Age effects and gaze patterns in recognising emotional expressions: An in-depth look at gaze measures and covariates

Cognition and Emotion

Murphy, N. A., & Isaacowitz, D. M.

2010-02-05

Murphy, N. A., & Isaacowitz, D. M. (2010). Age effects and gaze patterns in recognising emotional expressions: An in-depth look at gaze measures and covariates. Cognition and Emotion, 24(3), 436-452. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930802664623

Preferences for emotional information in older and younger adults: A meta-analysis of memory and attention tasks.

Psychology and Aging

Murphy, N. A., & Isaacowitz, D. M.

2008-01-01

Murphy, N. A., & Isaacowitz, D. M. (2008). Preferences for emotional information in older and younger adults: A meta-analysis of memory and attention tasks. Psychology and Aging, 23(2), 263-286. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.23.2.263