Chapter 5: Communication Flashcards
table talk
a research procedure that involves rating whether the message you are sending to your partner is positive or negative on a 5-point Likert scale and then having your partner rate their interpretation of it
benefit of table talk as a research procedure
it allows researchers to get a record of both your private thoughts and public actions
table talk findings
The impact of unhappy couples’ messages tends to be more negative
simple model of interpersonal comunication
- sender’s intentions (private and known only to the sender)
- sender’s actions (public and observable by anyone)
- effect on the lister (private and known only by the listener)
* between each stage, noise, inference, and the sender’s style of encoding/ listeners style of decoding can influence the message
interpersonal gap
- When the sender’s intentions differ from the effect on the receiver
- More likely to occur in close relationships
- Leads to relationship dissatisfaction
- Can prevent rewarding relationships from beginning
functions of nonverbal communication
- providing information
- regulating interaction
- defining the nature of the relationship
- interpersonal influence
- impression management
providing information
a person’s behaviour allows others to make inferences about his or her intentions, feelings, traits, and meaning
regulating interaction
nonverbal behaviour provides cues that regulate the efficient give-and-take of smooth conversations and other interactions
defining the nature of the relationship
the type of partnership two people share may be evident in their nonverbal behaviour
interpersonal influence
goal-oriented behaviour designed to influence someone else
impression management
nonverbal behaviour that is managed by a person or a couple to create or enhance a particular image
facial expressions
Spontaneous facial expressions signal people’s moods
are emotions innate or learned?
Cross-cultural similarities in basic emotions suggest that they’re innate
correlates of happy expressions
Happy expressions are correlated with success in life
why do people sometimes deliberately manage their facial expressions
display rules
display rules
cultural norms that dictate what emotions are appropriate in particular situations
Four ways we can modify our expressions
- intensify
- minimize
- neutralize
- mask
intensify
exaggerating our expressions so that we appear to be experiencing stronger feelings than we really are
minimize
trying to seem less emotional than we really are
neutralize
trying to withhold our true feelings altogether
mask
replacing our feelings with an entirely different emotion
fake vs. real expressions
Fake expressions usually differ from authentic expressions
microexpressions
authentic flashes of real emotion that are visible during momentary lapses of control when one is trying to fake emotions
pupils and looking behaviour
Our pupils dilate when we’re looking at something that interests us
eye contact and relationships
When others make eye contact, they signal that we are the target of their attention
gazing and relationships
- Gazing helps define the nature of a relationship
- The more intimate the relationship, the more time people spend gazing into one another’s eyes
typical looking behaviour during conversations
People usually look at their conversation partners more when they’re listening than when they’re speaking
Visual dominance ratio (VDR)
compares the “look-speak” to “look-listen”
typical VDR
40/60
high-power VDR
60/40
function of body movement
Body movements support our verbal communication, making it easier for us to convey what we mean
are gestures innate?
no, gestures have different meanings in different languages
body movement as a status symbol
High-status people tend to adopt asymmetric postures and take up a lot of space, while low-status people adopt symmetric postures and take up less space
what body posture is considered most attractive?
Men and women find expansive body posture more attractive because it is more indicative of confidence
touch and relatonships
- Different types of touches have different meanings
- Positive feelings engender touches that are different from those that communicate disgust
- People tend to touch each other more when their relationship is intimate
- Loving touches are good for our health
interpersonal distance
the physical space that separates two people that is usually reserved for intimate interactions
4 types of interpersonal distance
- Intimate zone (1.5 feet <)
- Personal zone (1.5-4 feet)
- Social zone (4-12 feet):
- Public zone (12+ feet)
Intimate zone (1.5 feet <)
either be loving or hostile interactions
Personal zone (1.5-4 feet)
friendships and acquaintances
Social zone (4-12 feet)
interactions tend to be more business-like