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