1. COM 340 Lecture 10 Nonverbal Communication: Haptics and Kinesics

2. COM 340 2  The average person relies heavily on touch to communicate.  Probably the most basic or primitive form of communication.  Touch remains a crucial aspect of human relations throughout our lives. Overview of Haptics

3. COM 340 3  The earliest form of contact that humans have with the world is through touch. Babies communicate through touch long before they can talk. Babies’ main source of information and also main way of expression.  Doctor’s hands Bathing  Diaper changing Rocking  Feeding Comforting Babies and Touch

4. COM 340 4  Studies in infant behavior have shown importance of touch in the evolution of a healthy adult.  Infants which have been held, touched and cuddled show… greater gain in weight, a higher level of activity, greater curiosity and capacity for learning, are less sick and handle stress better, and live longer. Babies and Touch (con’t)

5. COM 340 5  Among adults a vast range of meaning can be expressed just by touching.  Classifying touch into categories… Functional/Professional Social/Polite Friendship/Warmth Love/Intimacy Functions of Touch

6. COM 340 6  Functional/Professional - Most impersonal type of touch; done as part of job, service or task. Physician, Dentist, Nurse Barber& Hairstylist Masseur Tailor  Social/Polite - Affirms the presence of another person; suggests bond between two. Handshake, “High five” Cheek kiss Functions of Touch (con’t)

7. COM 340 7  Friendship/Warmth - Friendly touch for people we respect and hold in esteem; to show fondness. Pat on the back Embrace, hug  Love/Intimacy - Reserved for individuals we care deeply about. Full embrace Stroke of the face Kiss Sexual intercourse Functions of Touch (con’t)

8. COM 340 8  Study conducted by Prof. Dean Barnland  Compared physical contact patterns (touching patterns) of Japanese and American college students.  Study Group: College students between 18 and 24 120 Japanese and 120 Americans Each group had 60 males and 60 females Patterns of Physical Contact

9. COM 340 9  The drawings show a large contrast between touching patterns in the two cultures.  Interesting to see that permitted touching is greater with the American Father (least amount for Americans) than it is for the Opposite Japanese Sex Friend (most amount for Japanese). Touching study results… (con’t)

10. COM 340 10 Results of Study - U.S.

11. COM 340 11 Results of Study - Japan

12. COM 340 12  What is touched?  Almost total agreement between both cultures on areas of the body that can be touched and those that should not be touched.  Among Japanese the most frequently reported areas of contact were… Hand Forehead Head Shoulder Back of the neck Forearm  Among Americans the results were the same plus the addition of the upper arm. Physical Contact

13. COM 340 13  What can’t be touched?  The areas which can’t be touched were also similar for Japanese and Americans.  For both culture following were rarely touched. front pelvic region rear thigh rear pelvic region rear lower leg Although some areas of physical avoidance may reflect inconvenience rather than inhibition. Physical Contact (con’t)

14. COM 340 14  Who is touched?  When total physical contact is considered, Japanese and Americans showed their highest frequency of touching behavior to be with friends rather than with parents.  Japanese showed their order of physical contact (most to least) with… 1) opposite sex friends 2) mothers and same sex friends (same) 3) fathers. Physical Contact (con’t)

15. COM 340 15  Who is touched?  Americans showed similar results.  Order of physical contact (most to least)… 1) opposite sex friends 2) mothers 3) same sex friends 4) fathers.  But opposite sex friends scored much higher with Americans than Japanese, and fathers ranked very close to same sex friends. Physical Contact (con’t)

16. COM 340 16  There can be major differences between cultures in what areas of the body physical contact is permitted and not permitted.  Each of us knows what is permitted in our own culture, as we learn it from our parents and from society.  However, we do not intuitively know what is permitted in other cultures.  Making a mistake may cause an insult or make that person angry or uncomfortable. Physical Contact - Conclusion

17. COM 340 17  Body movements transmit a variety of messages. Emotions Personality traits Attitudes  Some are explicit; others are less clear.  Different movements can be used to convey the same message.  The same movements can carry different messages. Overview of Kinesics

18. COM 340 18  A system has been devised to classify body movements into five groups. Emblems Illustrators Affect displays Regulators Adaptors Classes of Movement

19. COM 340 19  Emblems - movements that bring words and phrases to the observer’s mind and are directly translatable into specific words. Good luck I don’t know. It’s hot. money  Illustrators - movements that are linked directly to a verbal message that clarify or explain what is said. They… accent or emphasize a word or phrase, point to objects, and picture spatial relationships. Classes of Movement (cont’)

20. COM 340 20  Affect displays - movements that reflect the intensity of our emotions or feelings. Intense facial expressions Kissing Stomping feet Handshake  Regulators - movements that control the back-and-forth nature of speaking. Head nods Eye movements Posture shift Hand gestures Classes of Movement (cont’)

21. COM 340 21  Adaptors - movements that are unintentional body movements in reaction to boredom or stress. Holding Scratching Rubbing Picking Squeezing Pinching Pen twirling Playing with an object Playing with one’s hair or clothing Making restless movements with hands or feet Classes of Movement (cont’)