Concurrents – Environmental Psychology: Silent Conversations

by Sally Augustin, Ph.D. | July 30th, 2018

Charn McAllister, in a May 30 article at The Conversation (“Scott Pruitt’s Desk Is More Impressive Than Yours,” available at the web address noted below), addresses the silent messages sent by spaces that we’ve been covering in this column for several years. McAllister’s work is particularly pleasurable to read because he brings the discussion of nonverbal communication from academia to Washington, D.C. Desks selected by Scott Pruitt, the current head of the Environmental Protection Agency, are covered in the first few paragraphs of McAllister’s article. The meat of McAllister’s piece is summarized when he reports that “How employees, managers and outsiders experience the physical spaces in a workplace or office is greatly influenced by the physical structure of the building and the use of symbolic artifacts. Buildings can send messages and affect behavior through their design…It should be noted that socially savvy managers consciously shape the image they present to their …