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Nonverbal Communication (Functions of Nonverbal Communication (Repeating…
Nonverbal Communication
Characteristic of Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal Communication -
Messages expressed by other than linguistic means
Nonverbal Communication Has Communicative Value
Every nonverbal cues, intentional or not, carry meaning.
Nonverbal Communication Is Primarily Relational
Nonverbal cues help us manage our identities.
We behave nonverbally in ways that will project our image and present identity to others
In order to appear more friendly and socially-attractive, we might smile a lot and try to strike a comfortable pose.
Nonverbal cues help us define our relationships.
How you behave nonverbally when you greet someone can reflect your relationship with that person.
Nonverbal cues convey emotion.
Affect Displays -
facial expressions, body movements, and vocal traits that reveal emotional states
Nonverbal behavior offers many cues about the way people feel through
affect displays
.
Nonverbal Communication Is Ambiguous
Nonverbal communication is often difficult to interpret accurately.
When decoding ambiguous nonverbal behavior
consider the following
:
the context
in which the behavior(s) occur
(e.g., smiling at a joke/another's tragedy)
the history
of your relationship with the sender
(e.g. friendly, hostile, etc)
the other's mood
at the time
your mood
at the time
(e.g. when you're insecure)
Relying on nonverbal cues in romantic situations can lead to inaccurate guesses about a partner's interests in a sexual relationship.
Nonverbal Communication Differs from Verbal Communication
Complexity
Verbal:
One dimension
(words only)
Nonverbal:
Multiple dimensions
(voice, posture, gestures, distance)
Flow
Verbal:
Intermittent
(speaking/silence alternate)
Nonverbal:
Continuous
Clarity
Verbal:
Less subject to misinterpretation
Nonverbal:
More ambiguous
Impact
Verbal:
Has less impact when verbal and nonverbal cues are contradictory
Nonverbal:
Has more impact when verbal and nonverbal cues are contradictory
Intentionality
Verbal:
Usually deliberate
Nonverbal:
Often unintentional
Nonverbal Skills are Important
Nonverbal encoding and decoding skills are strong predictors of popularity, attractiveness, and socio-emotional well-being
Influences on Nonverbal Communication
Culture
Cultures and cocultures follow different nonverbal languages and rules.
The
"okay"
gesture can mean a cheery affirmation (Americans), "you're worth zero" (Belgium, France), or a vulgar sexual invitation (Greece, Turkey).
People tend to look for emotional cues in the eyes [Japan] instead of the mouth [Americans/Europeans].
Putting your hands together means praying [Western] but it also a greeting [Thailand].
Gender
There are recognizable differences in the way men and women look and act.
"In general, women are more nonverbally expressive than men, and women are typically better at recognizing others' nonverbal behavior."
Gender and culture has influence on nonverbal style, but the differences are often a matter of degree rather than kind.
Functions of Nonverbal Communication
Repeating
People remember comments accompanied by gestures more than those made with words alone.
"If someone asked you for directions to the nearest drugstore, you could say, 'North of here about two blocks,' repeating your instructions nonverbally by pointing north."
Substituting
Emblems -
deliberate nonverbal behaviors with precise meanings, known to virtually all members of a cultural group
"Most Americans know that a head nod means, 'yes,' a head shake means, "no,' a wave means, 'hello' or 'goodbye,' and a hand to the ear means 'I can't hear you.""
Thai people will recognize that putting your hands together and nodding your head into the tip of your fingers is a way of polite greeting.
Nonverbal substituting is especially important when people are reluctant to express their feelings in words.
Complementing
Illustrators -
nonverbal behaviors that accompany and support verbal messages
""Your friend's sincerity will be reinforced if the verbal apology is accompanied by the appropriate nonverbal behaviors: the right tone of voice, facial expression, and so on.
Reading this made me realize that this is something I subconsciously do.
Complementary nonverbal behavior matches and reinforces the content of the verbal message.
Accenting
We use nonverbal devices to emphasize oral messages.
"Pointing an accusing finger adds emphasis to criticism."
Stressing certain words with the voice.
Regulating
Nonverbal behaviors can control the flow of verbal communiciation.
Contradicting
When a receiver perceives an inconsistency between verbal and nonverbal messages, the nonverbal one carries more weight.
Deceiving
Nonverbal behavior can be used to hide and uncover deception.
Types of Nonverbal Communication
Body Movements
Posture & Gesture
Kinesics -
the study of body movement, gesture, and posture
Gestures -
movements in which one part of the body grooms, massages, rubs, holds, pinches, picks, or otherwise manipulates another part
Face and Eyes
The face and eyes are probably the most noticed parts of the body, as it makes up our expression.
Affect Blends -
the combination of two or more expressions, each showing a different emotion
Voice
Paralanguage -
nonlinguistic means of vocal expression: rate, pitch, tone, and so on
Disfluencies -
deliberate nonverbal behaviors with precise meanings, known to virtually all members of a cultural group
Appearance
Physical Attractivness
People are generally biased to attractiveness and tend to reward good-looking people for looking good.
Clothing
Clothing is a means of nonverbal communication, providing a relatively straightforward method of impression management.
Economic status
Education level
Social status
Moral standards
Interests
Belief system
Level of sophistication
Touch
Haptics -
the study of touch
Physical touch can be much more powerful than words.
Touch is the first language we learn as infants.
Touch can increase compliance.
Space
Distance
Proxemics -
the study of how people and animals use space
Anthropologist Edward T. Hall has defined four distances used in mainstream North American culture.
Personal Distance -
ranging from 18 inches to 4 feet
Interactions with most relational partners.
Our personal space.
Intimate Distance -
ranging from skin contact to 18 inches
Interaction with people whom we're emotionally close to.
Visiting the doctor, hairdresser, and some athletic contests, etc.
Social Distance -
ranging from 4 to 12 feet
Communication that occur in business situations.
More formal and impersonal situations.
Public Distance -
extending outward from 12 feet
The distance most teachers use in the classroom.
Distance to communicate uninterest in having dialogue
Territoriality
Territory -
fixed space that an individual assumes some right to occupy
Environment
The physical environment people create can both reflect and shape interaction.
Time
Chronemics -
the study of how humans use and structure time
The way we handle time can express both intentional and unintentional messages.
The use of time depends greatly on culture.
Monochronic -
the use of time that emphasizes punctuality, schedules, and completing one task at a time**
North American, German, Swiss, etc.
Polypchronic -
the use of time that emphasizes flexible schedules in which multiple tasks are pursued at the same time
South American, Mediterranean, Arab, etc.
Building Competence in Nonverbal Communication
Tune Out Words
It is easy to overlook important nonverbal cues when you're only listening to the words being spoken.
Use Perception Checking
Because nonverbal behaviors are ambiguous, it's important to consider your interpretations of what the cues mean.
Pay Attention to Your Own Nonverbal Behavior
There is value in monitoring our own nonverbal behavior because most of us have blind spots when it comes to our own communication.
What surprised you in the readings?
I never realized that things like space, environment, or time could be considered as a form of nonverbal communication. This really puts a lot of aspects of my life into perspective.
What confused you or made you want to find out more?
I wonder why infant mortality rates are so dependent on their need for touch? What is physiological effect of touching during the early stages of life that makes it so necessary?
What bothered you?
It bothered me to read that attractiveness plays a considerable role in work discrimination for both attractive people and not as attractive people. It's kind of objectifying and dehumanizing to have your career be judged partially on your physical appearance.