Understanding Nonverbal Communication: Emblems, Illustrators, and More, Study notes of Communication and Development studies

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on

without words

Also known as Nonverbal communication, para- language or Para-verbal

Definitions:

• (^) Floyd: Behaviors and characteristics that

convey meaning without words

--The text

• (^) DeVito: Communication without words:

communication using space, gestures,

facial expressions, touching vocal

variation and even silence

--Dr. Josepha A. deVito, The Interpersonal Communication Book , Twelfth Edition, 2009, Pearson

Five nonverbal body movements

Emblems Regulators

Illustrators

Adaptors

Affect display

Definitions:

• (^) Facial management – sometimes easy to

read, sometimes extremely ambiguous

• (^) Eye-contact – Can be vague: is looking

away a sign of thoughtfulness or deceit?

• (^) Immediacy – How close do you get to the

other person or vice versa.

Eye-contact – Can be vague: is looking away a sign of thoughtfulness or deceit?

Immediacy – How close do you get to the other person or vice versa.

But what happens if …

• (^) Our voice quavers because we’re nervous …
• (^) Our knees shake during a speech …
• (^) We stop paying attention, stare at the wall…
• (^) We hesitate as we start to answer a question …
• (^) We belch in the middle of a sentence … DO THESE THINGS COUNT AS COMMUNICATION? – Your thoughts

And the answer is: YES

• (^) Involuntary and even some voluntary

nonverbals may not align with the words.

• (^) In fact, sometimes nonverbals actually

contradict the verbals

• (^) In contradictions, which do people tend to

believe? The nonverbals

• (^) One term for this is “leakage”

That’s hilarious! I knew it all along I love toilet training Honey, for gosh sakes, take out the trash! So, a priest, a rabbi, and a minister walk into a bar …

Nonverbals have multiple functions in communication

• Repeating
• Substituting
• Accenting
• Compl e menting
• Regulating

Greetings in various cultures, contexts

Cultural contexts

• (^) Display rules, e.g. Mediterranean cultures accept displays of emotion – western culture not so much
• (^) Judgments of others’ communication competence, e.g. Asians uncomfortable with aggressiveness, forthrightness of Westerners
• (^) Co-cultures, e.g. ▫ Latinos avoid eye contact as sign of respect ▫ Native Americans view silence as sign of respect ▫ And us Swedes: stern, show little expression