Chapter 5: Nonverbal Communicaton Flashcards
Non-verbal communication
Behaviors + Characteristics that convey meaning without words
- 65-70% of our communication is nonverbal
- Can accompany words/verbal messages to clarify or reinforce them
- Powerful way of communicating, comes naturally to us
- They “meta communicate” (Communication about communication)
Emotions
shown through facial expressions, vocal behaviors
facial behavior is our primary means of communicating emotion
Use nonverbals to…
- Manage conversations
- Immediacy behaviors: nonverbals that signal affection
- Facial: identity
Emojis
cartoon depictions of faces and other objects
Nonverbal channels
the various behavioral forms that nonverbal communication takes
Deception
the act of leading others to believe something the speaker knows to be true
Nonverbal is believed OVER verbal… Why?
- Harder to control nonverbals than our words
- “Talk is cheap”
○ Actions speak louder than words - When deciding between what someone says vs what they do, people will choose what they do
Facial displays
facial expressions that are an important source of information in nonverbal communication
3 functions:
- identity
- attractiveness
- emotion
3 functions of facial displays
- Identity
- Attractiveness
- Emotion
Identity
face is the most important visual clue that humans use to identify one another
Attractiveness
face plays a large role in attractiveness
○ Symmetry: the similarity between left and right sides of face or body
○ Proportionality: the relative sizes of facial body features
Oculesics
study of eye behaviors
- Lack of eye contact: can be misinterpreted based on culture
Kinesics
study of movements and posture (“kinetic energy”)
Gesticulation
study of arm and hand movements
Emblems
special type of gesticulation (arm/hand movement) that has a direct verbal translation
○ Ex: waving, middle finger, thumbs up
○ Can have different meanings depending on culture
Illustrators
gestures that go along with verbal message to clarify something
○ EX: someone gives directions, says “over there” and points in the proper direction
○ EX: teacher sees you raising hand, says “you” and points at you
Affect displays
gestures that communicate emotions
EX: ringing hands = showing nervousness
Regulators
gestures used to control the flow of conversation
○ Ex: raising hand - allows you to speak, conversation to class stops and it focuses on you
○ Ex: Holding out hand = “stop talking”
Adaptors
gestures used to satisfy personal needs
○ Ex: itching yourself, picking lint off of your clothes
Haptics
study of sense of touch
Types of touch
- Affectionate
- Caregiving
- Power and control
- Aggressive
- Ritualistic
Affectionate touch
contributes to physical and mental well-being
- Ex: couple holding hands, holding baby, hugging, kissing
Caregiving
touch from receiving some form of care or service
○ Reflects positive emotion for the person being touched, but doesn’t have to
- Ex: doctors touch you to give you care
- Ex: someone cutting your hair
Power and control touch
touch used to exert power over other people’s behavior
- EX: grabbing child hand to cross the street, cop grabbing you out of car
Aggressive touch
touch used to inflict harm
- Ex: kicking your child, cop punching you in the face, beating your kids
This touch is Usually a crime
Ritualistic touch
touch done as part of a custom or tradition
- Ex: hug, handshake, kiss on cheek
○ Depends on culture
Vocal behaviors
paralanguage: vocalic behavior that communicate meaning along with verbal behavior
Pitch
Increasing or decreasing pitch
Inflection
○ Variation in pitch
- More variation = expressive
- Less variation = monotone
Accent
pattern of pronouncing vowel and consonant sounds that is representative of a particulatar language or geographic area
○ Everyone has an accent
○ Gives away nationality
Most likely means you’re bilingual
Olfactics
study of sense of smell
- We are sexually attracted to someone who smells different from us, because evolution tells us that people who smell similar to us are in the same gene pool
- Oflactics are memories, we remember what we smell
Proxemics
use of space
○ Some people spread themselves out, others crinch themselves up
Intimate distancing
the zone of space willingly occupied only with intimate friends, family members, and romantic partners
Personal distance
The zone of space occupied with close friends and relatives
Social distance
The zone of space occupied with casual acquaintances
Public distance
the zone of space maintained during a public presentation
halo effect
attribute good qualities to attractive people (pretty privilege)
Chronemics
use of time
Artifacts
objects and visual features that reflect a person’s identity and preferences
EX: car you want to drive, clothes you want to wear
Monochromic culture
“time is money”
- Always using time, showing up early, etc
- Ex: U.S, Europe
Polychromic culture
show up whenever, time isn’t that important
Ex: Brazil, South America, Arab
Sex
Women and men react with different nonverbal behaviors
