Social Psychology W1 P3

I found this section of the learning to be quite interesting. I never really think about the way I communicate nonverbally (At least, not until after the fact), and I found all of the ways we communicate to be quite diverse and interesting. One of the most fascinating things I learned was how white people maintain eye contact while listening, but break it when speaking; most other ethnicities do the opposite. This fact immediately intrigued me because it's easy to see how this cultural difference can cause so much miscommunication, be it in school, work, or even police confrontations. Because of these differences, its easy to see how disrespect can be communicated, even when attention is implied. It's an important thing to keep in mind, and a fact I can back up with my own experience working retail.

I have a few questions about this study though; where was this sample of people taken from? Depending on where this study comes from, it may be completely inapplicable to places outside of America, and totally change the meaning of the information. And is this a taught habit, or inherited similar to emotional expression? Depending on how you think about it, it seems equally likely to be either one.