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Nonverbal Communication
“The World Beyond Words”
What is Nonverbal Communication?
• “Messages expressed by nonlinguistic means.”
– Includes silent behaviors, environment, artifacts, and vocal inflection
– Is a powerful mode of communication
Characteristics/Principles of Nonverbal Communication
All Behavior hasCommunicative Value
• Because we “cannot not communicate”• May be intentional, but is often unconscious• Although we’re always sending messages
through our nonverbals, these messages aren’t always received.
• We especially pay attention to nonverbals when they contradict verbal communication.
Nonverbal Communication is Primarily Relational
• Responsiveness– Communicates our interest in others’ communication– Women are generally more responsive than men– People in lower-power positions tend to be better at reading
nonverbals
(A little more about the relational nature of nonverbals)
• Nonverbals are especially important:– For identity management– In defining our relationships (e.g., level of
intimacy)– For expressing emotions we don’t want to
express, can’t express, or don’t know we’re feeling
NonverbalCommunicationis Ambiguous
• The same nonverbal can have multiple meanings
• For example:– “I’m feeling content” smiles– “I’m feeling a little stressed” smiles– “I’m a bit sad” smiles– “I can’t believe you just did that” smiles– “How do I get out of this conversation?” smiles
Nonverbal Communication Reflects Cultural Values
• Space– Americans tend to value more personal space than many other cultures– Men tend to value more personal space than women
• Touch (Knapp, 1972)– Americans – 2 touches per hour– British – 0 touches per hour– Parisians – 110 touches per hour– Puerto Ricans – 180 touches per hour
• Eye-Contact– In North-America: bluntness, assertiveness, honesty– In many Asian and northern-European countries: aggressive & disrespectful– In Brazil: more intense eye-contact is the norm
Weird experiences?
The Interplay Between Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
• Repeating– Your nonverbals simply repeat what you’ve said
• Substituting– Your nonverbals replace language– Emblems (e.g., nodding)
• Complementing & Accenting– Your nonverbals add depth and meaning to your language
• Regulating– Your nonverbals help regulate the conversation
• Contradicting– You say one thing, but your nonverbals say another
Deception
• Nonverbals are under less conscious control, so deception is more likely to be revealed through our nonverbals (nonverbals are actually hard to control).
• High self-monitors are people who will likely be more successful at deception.
• Women tend to be better at detecting deception.• “Deceivers” tend to make more speech errors, to
hesitate, to have higher vocal pitch, to fidget, blink their eyes more, and shift their posture more.
Why do we deceive others?
• Achieve our goals• Maybe just be polite
Different Types of Nonverbal Communication
Face and Eyes
Face and Eyes
• Over 1000 distinct facial expressions• Eyes can be especially expressive
– “Windows to the soul”• Men and women have been found to be
equally expressive– Men show the most emotion in the lower left
quadrant of their face– Women show emotion over their whole face
Body Movement/Kinesics
• Body posture• Gestures• Manipulators/Fidgeting
An aside…
Touch
• Touching is considered essential and therapeutic (remember from chapter 1)
• Touching can influence liking and compliance• Is used to show intimacy or power/control
– Couple holding hands in public – sign of “ownership”
• People with high status touch others/invade others’ spaces more than people with lower status
Voice/Paralanguage
• Consists of vocal tone, speed, pitch, volume, number and length of pauses, and disfluencies (“um”s, “ah”s), etc.
• **Paralanguage tends to be more powerful than language
• Affects how other’s perceive us– Stereotyping (e.g., accents, vocabulary, grammar
• Influenced by culture, gender, class (intentionally or unintentionally)
Silence
• Can communicate contentment, awkwardness, anger, respect, thoughtfulness, empathy
• Can also be disconfirming “as if you’re not there”
Space/Proxemics
Personal Space
• Intimate distance• Personal distance• Social distance• Public distance
Barrier behaviors and territory
You are
here
Time/Chronemics
• Our use of time reflects:– Power/status– Cultural norms– Expectations– Interpersonal priorities
Physical Appearance
• “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”• We tend to notice obvious things first (gender,
race), then note attractiveness• Physically attractive people generally are
perceived better• Importance placed on physical appearance can be
very damaging• It’s what we do with it that’s most important
Artifacts
• Include clothing, jewelry, personal belongings, accessories, etc.
• Communicate economic level, educational level, trustworthiness, social position, level of sophistication, economic background, social background, educational background, level of success, moral character, masculinity/femininity
• Important part of first impressions
Environment
• Communicates something about you– We surround ourselves with things that are
important/meaningful to us– Use artifacts to define our territory
• Can influence interactions• How people use an environment
communicates something about them
Some Guidelines for Improving Nonverbal Communication
• Monitor Your Nonverbal Communication• Be Tentative When Interpreting Others’
Nonverbal Communication– Nonverbals are personal and ambiguous– Personal Qualifications:
• Take responsibility for your interpretations• Use “I” language to check your perceptions of nonverbals
– Contextual Qualifications:• Be aware of how the context might be influencing others’
nonverbals• Be aware of how different cultural norms might influence
others’ nonverbals• Be careful not to jump to conclusions based on your own
cultural norms
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