Nonverbal Communication

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Nonverbal Communication

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Summary of Verbal Communication

• Language permits us to remember the past, deal
  with the present, and anticipate and plan for the
  future.
• Language serves as a guide to how a culture
  perceives reality.
• Each of us learns and uses language as we do
  because of our cultural background.
• Communication style varies from culture to
  culture, but ones communicative style is
  adaptive and can be developed.

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Reviewing Verbal Communication

• To know anothers language and not his culture is
  a very good way to make a fluent fool of oneself.
• Ping-Pong and Bowling conversation styles
• High involvement conversation patterns and high
  considerateness patterns.

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High Involvement Styles

• HIS tends to
• Talk more
• Interrupt more
• Expect to be interrupted
• Talk more loudly at times
• Talk more quickly
• Enjoy arguments
• E.g. Russian, Italian, Greek, Spanish, South
  American, Arab and African

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High Considerateness Styles

• HCS tend to
• Speak one at a time
• Use polite listening sounds
• Refrain from interrupting
• Give plenty of positive and respectful responses
• E.g. Asian cultures Chinese and Japanese

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• Linear versus Circular straight line discussion
  versus a more circular approach
• Direct versus Indirect meaning conveyed by
  words versus through suggestion  
• Detached versus Attached objective presentation
  versus expressive style
• Intellectual Engagement versus Relational
  Engagement Discussion is about the task versus
  discussion about the task and the person
• Concrete versus Abstract example driven versus
  theory driven discussion

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Dimensions of Non-verbal Communication

• Major Topics
• Introduction to the main dimensions
• Functions of non-verbal communication
• First impressions
• Observing non-verbal communication
• Visual introduction of gestures

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Non-verbal Communication definition and
importance

• Nonverbal communication involves all those
  nonverbal stimuli in a communication setting that
  are generated by both the source and his or her
  use of the environment and that have potential
  message value for the source or receiver.

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Non-verbal Communication definition and
importance

• It expresses meaning or feeling without words.
• It is the silent language of the culture.
• 93 of a message is transmitted by the speakers
  tone of voice and facial expressions. Only 7of
  the persons attitude is conveyed by words.

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• Many, and sometimes most, of the critical
  meanings generated in human encounters are
  elicited by touch, glance, vocal nuances,
  gestures, or facial expression with or without
  the aid of words.
• From the moment of recognition until the moment
  of separation, people observe each other with all
  their senses, hearing pause and intonation,
  attending to dress and carriage, observing glance
  and facial tension, as well as noting word choice
  and syntax.

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• We make important judgments and decisions
  concerning the internal states of others by their
  nonverbal behavior.
• Non-verbal communication is usually responsible
  for first impressions.
• Many of our non-verbal actions are not easily
  controlled consciously, so they are relatively
  free of distortions and deception.

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Functions of non-verbal communication

• 1. Supporting speech
• Repeating Complementing Substituting
  Regulating Contradicting
• 2. Conveying emotions
• The total feeling comes from 7 verbal, 38
  vocal, 55 facial and body messages.
• 3. Creating positive feelings
• approach messages, availability messages,
  sensory stimulation, personal closeness and
  warmth

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Non-verbal vs. Verbal Communication

• To accent ??
• To complement ??
• To contradict ??
• To regulate ??
• To substitute for ??

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Types of Nonverbal Communication

• Voice (paralanguage ???)
• Body movements (kinesics ???)
• Space (proxemics ???)
• Touch (haptics ???)
• Time (chronemics ???)
• Other (chemical/ physical/ artifactual??? codes,
  etc.)

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Paralanguage How something is said

• Vocal characterizers laughing, crying, yelling,
  moaning, belching, yawning, help reveal a
  persons physical or emotional state
• Vocal qualifiers volume, pitch, rate, tone,
  rhythm, resonance
• Vocal segregates non-word fillers, e.g.
  hmmm,uh-huh,
• Paralanguage can assist us in drawing conclusions
  about the speakers emotional state,
  socioeconomic status, height, weight, age,
  intelligence, race, regional background, and
  educational level.

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Body Language (Kinesics)

• Facial expressions
• Smile may express pleasure, show affection,
  convey politeness, disguise true feelings, cover
  emotional pain or embarrassment.
• It is also a source of confusion when and to
  whom to smile.

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Eye Contact and Gaze

• It serves to show intimacy, attention, and
  influence, and also to regulate interaction,
  define power and status relationships.

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• Insufficient or excessive eye contact can create
  communication barriers.
• Never trust a person who doesnt look you in the
  eyes.
• But in Asian countries, a persons lack of eye
  contact toward an authority figure signifies
  respect and deference.

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Gestures

• Refer to the handouts
• E.g.
• the O.K. gesture
• relax with feet up on the desk

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Touching (Haptics)

• Rules of touching whom to touch and where they
  may be touched
• shake hands, hug, be intimate with,
• touch the head, kiss

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Touching (haptics)

• Touching behavior reflects the cultures
  attitudes and values. Cultures that believe in
  emotional restraint and rigid status distinction
  (German, English, Scandinavian, South-east Asian)
  do very little touching as compared with cultures
  that encourage outward signs of affection (Latin
  American, Middle eastern, Jewish, Greek, Eastern
  European).

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When greeting

• Middle Easterners, esp. Muslims
• Japanese
• People from France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and
  other Mediterranean (???) countries
• People from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand , and
  Bangladesh???
• Most Latinos

• Hold hands together in front of their chins in a
  prayerlike position and nod their heads.
• Hug and kiss on the cheek for both the same and
  the opposite sexes. Friends will pat each other
  on the back
• Men will embrace and kiss one another. Women may
  do the same. But the opposite sexes should avoid
  body contact.
• Bow to each other and keep hands slide down
  toward the knees or remain at the side
• Kiss on both cheeks.

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Proxemics

• Personal space and territory
• Conversational distance
• Reading Case 25

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Chronemics

• The study of the meanings, usage and
  communication of time, time attitude, use of time
  frames, punctuality
• Monochronic and polychronic time
• One thing at a time, many things at once
• Reading Case 23

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First Impressions

• See handouts !

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Observing non-verbal communication

• What to watch for when you go abroad or are
  around foreigners?
• Use of space
• Eye contact and touching
• Gestures

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Questions to ask

• How close did people stand or sit?
• How much touching?
• What kind of eye behavior?
• What gestures?
• How could you tell when a conversation was going
  to end?
• How can you determine the social relationship
  between people?