Nonverbal Communication Flashcards
Nonverbal communication
an elaborate code written nowhere but understood
Categories of nonverbal communication (6)
- Paralanguage
- Space
- Kinesics
- Artifacts
- Time
- Environment
Kinesics
anything and everything to do with the body
Subcategories of kinesics (6)
- Emblem
- Illustrators
- Affect Display
- Regulator
- Adaptor
- General Physical Characteristics, heat, smell, and touch
Emblem
body movement directly translatable into a word or phrase
Ex: Holding up your middle finger to mean “fuck you”
-culturally variable
Ex: holding up your hand in the US means stop, while in Ghana it means “you’re a bastard”
-some emblems are universal, such as the sleep sign where you place your hands together tilted underneath your head
-can be universal among species
Ex: scowling to signal displeasure also seen in chimps, cats, and dogs)
Illustrators
a body movement that accompanies a verbal message
Ex: saying “yes” and nodding your head up and down
-can emphasize a word or phrase
-can point to objects that are present, depict spacial relationships, the pacing of an event, depict a bodily action
Affect Display
movements that convey emotions
Ex: drooping body, shown by slouched shoulder and downward facing head, can indicate sadness
-includes facial movement
-six universal facial expressions: happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, fear, and anger
Regulator
move our bodies to maintain and coordinate the back-and-forth flow of speaking and listening
Ex: a nod signaling that you understand
Ex: a look of confusion showing that something needs to be repeated
-we use our bodies to open and close communication
Ex: a wave or handshake to open
Ex: decreasing amounts of eye contact to close a conversation
-different handshakes send different messages
Ex: firm indicates confidence, while too firm can indicate insecurity because you are trying to overcompensate
-cultural variability
Ex: In Japan, a bow instead of a handshake
Adaptor
things we do with our body to make us feel comfortable in a situation
Ex: twirling hair, bouncing foot up and down
-cultural varaibility
Ex: Japanese women cover their mouths when embarrassed
General physical characteristics, heat, smell, and touch
-physique can communicate if a person is big and strong or small and weak
-posture and the way you carry yourself can communicate confidence or lack thereof
-body heat
Ex: a warm hand is inviting, a cold clammy hand is uninviting
-smell
Ex: smelling nice can communicate cleanliness
-body odor can be unattractive
-women are more sexually attracted to men who are sexually aroused, and men’s sweat smells different when aroused
-you’re recognizable by smell after birth, mothers able to identify shirt worn by their baby
-hair conveys different things (e.g. shaved or not)
-height can be read as a sign of maturity
-eyes important for non-verbal messages
-gazing is a culturally variable
Ex: eye contact important in the US but in Japan, it is more appropriate to look at their cheeks
-eyebrows communicate emotions
-touch (e.g. handshake, kissing)
-handshake can create a sense of trust
-kissing is culturally variable: in Japan kissing is only done in privacy
-kissing can reveal emotions
-touch can indicate support
-handholding can indicate a couple
-touch is culturally variable (e.g. touch more common in France than US)
Paralanguage
the vocal but nonverbal aspects of speech
Subcategories of paralanguage (6)
- Vocal qualities
- Vocal Segregates
- Vocal fluences
- Vocal qualifiers
- Vocalizations
- Pauses and silence
Vocal Qualities
background characteristics of the speaker’s voice
Ex: pitch, tempo, resonance, articulation, rhythm
Vocal Segregates
substitutes for words
Ex: “uh-huh” for “yes”, “shhh” for “quiet”
Vocal fluences
sounds we make to fill in gaps of silence in conversation
Ex: uhhhh, ohhh, ahhhh
-used by more collectivist cultures than individualist cultures
Vocal Qualifiers
sounds used to indicate emotional state
Ex: increase in volume to show excitement, drawl reflecting relaxed state in the South vs speaking quickly shows intensity in cities
Vocalizations
other sounds that we make with our voice that do not fall into another category
Ex: laughing, yawning, crying
-can also indicate emotional state
Ex: speaking through yawning can indicate boredom
Pauses and Silence
the pregnant pause: pausing for effect
-pause when you’re ready to let someone else speak
-length of pause is culturally variable (ex: pause is longer for Athabaskin natives)
-silent treatment expressing anger
Message Treatment
not what you say but how you say it
-volume is culturally variable
Ex: volume when speaking in Japan is lower
-sarcasm: positive statement said with a twist
-accents
Ex: the “r” in a Boston accent is lost
Space
-the use and perception of space, including personal space, fixed space, semi-fixed space
-can be related to leadership/power
Ex: Grandpa sitting at the head of the table
-can be related to the task at hand
Ex: sitting across from each other at a table indicates opposition
-top of the building is most prestigious
-personal space
-distance in conversation varies by sex and relationship
-space is limited between partners, farther apart if you don’t know the person
-relates to psychological state
-space grows when we’re anxious, shrinks when we’re confident
-space changes in relationships
-culturally variable
Ex: Persian cultures tend to have less space when speaking, in US average distance is 3 ft
-use of space varies by gender
-males take up more space (e.g. gesturing, legs spread out)
-sometimes the usual rules of space break down
Ex: in a crowded elevator
-sometimes you want less space
Ex: you want a crowd at a concert
-spacing in family photos can show the dynamic
-spakes speaks in territoriality (e.g. your seat in a lecture hall)
-there are moving territories, such as with cars
-time moves slowly when territory is violated
-lighting can influence our use of space (low-lit places foster intimacy by drawing you closer to the person)
-animals also use space
Time
-waiting can send a message that you’re not important
-spending a lot of time with someone indicates that that person is important to you
-being punctual indicates respect
-culturally variable
Ex: Important to me punctual in the US. However, in Southern Mexico and New Guinea punctuality is less important and time is more relaxed - it is common to arrive many hours late to a party
Artifacts
-artifacts such as clothing, jewelry, and cars can communicate information about a person
Ex: Buying an expensive car indicates that the person is rich and powerful. In contrast, a Volvo communicates respectability. Convertible indicates adventurousness
-clothing sends messages about social status, education, success, etc.
-culturally variable
Ex: wearing shorts and a tank top in California in the summer is acceptable. However, in Saudi Arabia, for example, it would questioned more.
-people can be used as artifacts
Ex: hanging out with the cool kids at school sends the message that you’re also cool
Environment
-includes the social and physical environment
-such as furniture, lighting, smells, decorations
-environment can communicate if a person is mature, adventurousness, reserved, outgoing, family-oriented
-classroom environments are important and can influence achievement (e.g. windows, temp, bright colors)
-different messages in restaurants (five-star restaurants vs fast food restaurants)
-environments designed to influence shopping behavior
Ex: milk in the back of grocery store
-product placement on shelves (e.g. kids toys, visual blocking)
-aesthetic experiences in stores do well
