1. 6- Nonverbal The Nature of Nonverbal Ten Channels of Nonverbal
Culture, Sex, and Nonverbal
Improving Nonverbal

2. Nonverbal
Behaviors and characteristics that convey meaning without the use of words.
Nonverbal behaviors reinforce verbal communication and communicate all on their own.
-tone of voice
-facial expression
-gestures or body movement
-appearance
-use of time and space

3. 5 Characteristics Present in most Interpersonal Conversations
Signals in many kinds of social situations
Over the phone, we make judgments using tone
In mediated communication, we use emoticons or other cues (Caps)
2) Often Conveys more information than Verbal
65-70%
Nonverbal uses various channels or behavioral forms (senses)
3) Usually believed over Verbal
4) Primary means of communicating Emotion
More efficient and more accurate
Facial expressions are our most basic emotions and cross-cultural
5) Metacommunicates (communicates about communication)
Communicate clearly our intentions

4. Ten Channels Facial Displays Smell Eye Behaviors Space
Movement and Gestures
Physical Appearance
Time
Touch
Artifacts
Vocal

5. 1. Facial Displays
Principle of facial primacy: face communicates more information than any other channel of nonverbal
Identity- most reliable clue to identity
Attractiveness- assessing
Symmetry- similarity between left and right side of face
Proportionality- relative size of one’s facial features
Pg 192 Fact or Fiction
Emotion
Women are better at Interpreting emotion by decoding facial expressions
Outgoing and extroverted are better at interpreting
Ekman:
Lie To Me:

6. 2. Eye Behavior
The eyes communicate more than any other part of the face
Oculesics- the study of eye behavior
Eye contact
Pupil size

7. 3. Movement and Gestures The study of movement is Kinesics
The use of arm and hand movements is gesticulation
Emblems (directly translated/ wave)
Illustrators (clarify verbal/ pointing)
Affect Displays (communicate emotion or affect/ open jaw)
Regulators (control conversation/ raising your hand)
Adaptors (satisfy needs/ scratching and itch)

8. 4. Touch/ Haptics
Affectionate Touch (hugging, kissing, and handholding)
Caregiving Touch (hair cut, teeth cleaned, massage, training)
Limited to context
Therapeutic
Power and Control Touch (assisting or attaining)
Aggressive Touch (inflict personal harm)
Ritualistic Touch (customary or traditional/ shaking hands)

9. Research
(Knapp, 1972) North Americans- 2 touches an hour British- 0 touches an hour Parisians- 110 touches an hour Puerto Ricans- 180 touches an hour3 Nonverbal Communication
How to Read Male Body Language
edwards/how-to-read-a-mans-body- l_b_ html%20

10. 5. Vocal(ics)/Paralanguage)
Pitch (high or deep)
Pronunciation (combination of vowel and consonant sounds)
Inflection (variation in pitch)
Articulation/ Enunciation (clarity of speech)
Volume (loud or quiet)
Rate (fast or slow)
Accent (pronunciation of a particular language or geographical area)
Filler Words (non-word sounds/ “umm” or “er”
Silence (absence of sound)
Sounds/ Utterances (sigh/ scream)
Friends:
Music creates particular effects-Ted. Talk: Julian Treasure

11. 6. Smell Olfactics, your sense of smell, affect: Science & Scents:
Memories and Mood
Remembering a person, place, or event affecting behavior
Sexual Attraction
Drawn to people whose natural body scent is the most different from our own
Body scent signals the brain of genetic similarities (those that smell similar to ourselves)
Decreases the chance of producing genetically abnormal children
Science & Scents:
pheromones /?no-ist
what-we-like/

12. 7. Space/ Proxemics
Depends on temperament, situation, and relationship
Use of space also indicates power and status
Gender may influence who occupies rooms or spaces within a home
Use of space is influenced by culture
Spatial Zones in Western Culture (Hall, 1969)
-Intimate Distance (touching-18 in)
-Personal Distance (18 in- 4 ft)
-Social Distance (4-12 ft)
-Public Distance (12 ft+)

13. 8. Physical Appearance
Attractiveness- physical body shape, features, and genes.
Halo Effect- predisposition to attribute positive qualities to physically attractive people
Advantages for attractive people (Activity on Board)
Dangerous desires to achieve
Standards are not universal throughout the world
Adornment- changes to appearance
Clothing, jewelry, hair-style, tattoos, piercings, cosmetics

14. 9. Time/ Chronemics
Monochronic cultures schedule tasks and complete them one by one following a strict agenda
US has monochromic time system- time is a commodity
We communicate messages based on how we use time
Time communicates status or power
Polychronic cultures work on several tasks at a time and view time as flexible

15. 10. Artifacts
Objects and visual features within an environment that reflects who we are and what we like.
House, Apartment, Car, or Office
Personal objects we use to communicate something about ourselves
They reveal likes and dislikes as well as socioeconomic status, group affiliation, and belief system
Color affects mood and disposition (warm- arousing/ cool- calming)
r_effect.htm

16. Artifacts-Tattoos

17. Managing Conversations
Functions
Managing Conversations
Expressing Emotions
Assisting cues
Inviting Conversation: personal space, physical appearance, and eye contact
Maintaining Conversation: turn-taking signals
Ending Conversation: eye behavior and posture
Facial expression and vocal expression (tone)

18. Maintaining Relationships
Functions
Maintaining Relationships
Forming Impressions
Attraction and Affiliation
Immediacy Behaviors
Power and Dominance
Power is the potential to affect another person’s behavior/ Dominance is the act of that potential
Artifacts used as Status
Arousal and Relaxation
Arousal is an increase in energy (excitement or anxiety)
Relaxation is decreased energy (contentment or depression)
Demographic characteristics: age, ethnicity, and sex
Sociocultural characteristics: socio- economic status (mone, education, and career) and cultural and co-cultural groups
Personal Appearance is the most accurate

19. Concealing Information
Functions
Influencing Others
Concealing Information
Creating Credibility
Appearance (uniforms, tone of voice, eye contact, and gesture)
Promoting Affiliation(Closeness and Liking)
Touch
Interactional Synchrony- mirroring a person’s behavior creating a sense of similarity
For your benefit or the benefit of others
Smiles (genuine vs. false)/ (eyes vs. corners of mouth)
Lying (higher pitch)

20. Body Language- Documentary
Media Example
Body Language- Documentary

21. Cultural Influence Emblems (gestures/ thumbs up) Affect Displays
Personal Distance
Eye Contact
Facial Displays
Greetings
Time Orientation
Touch (high-contact vs. low-contact)

22. Sex Influences
Emotional Expressiveness (Women express positive emotions more)
Eye Contact (Women engage in more eye contact)
Personal Space (Women are approached more closely)
Vocalics (Men’s voices have a lower pitch/ Men use more fillers and pause)
Touch (Men are more likely to touch/ In same-sex women touch more)
Appearance (Adornment)

23. Improving Nonverbal Communication
*Interpreting Nonverbal Communication
Expressing Messages Verbally

24. Interpreting Nonverbal Communication
Be Sensitive to Nonverbal Messages
2/3 of behavior is conveyed nonverbally
Face communicates more communication
Tone of voice is relevant in dominance and deception
Decipher the Meaning of Nonverbal Messages
Be aware of the situation
Keep culture in mind
Ask for clarification

25. Expressing Messages Verbally
Learn from Others- spend time with highly expressive people
Practice being Expressive- take part in games and activities that exercise your nonverbal expression skills
Charades
Role-playing