Prepared by Robert Gass & John Seiter
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IMPORTANCE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
We use nonverbal
communication to:
4. Model behavior (social proof)
1. shape impressions of ourselves
5. Signal expectations
 nonverbal cues can enhance or
hinder perceived attractiveness,
credibility, status
2. establish intimacy, rapport,
immediacy
 Putting on a seatbelt
 Eye contact to signal turn-taking
during conversation
6. Violate others’ expectations
 Standing too close or too far away
 Through eye contact, smiling,
nodding in agreement
3. facilitate or inhibit attention
 nonverbal distractions
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The Direct Effects model of Immediacy
Immediacy behaviors are warm, friendly, and
involving
 Andersen (1999): warm, involving, immediate
behaviors enhance the persuasiveness of a
message
 It is easier to comply with those we like
 We tend to trust warm, friendly people
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TYPES OF NONVERBAL COMM
Nonverbal Codes
 Kinesics
 Haptics
 Proxemics
 Chronemics
 Artifacts
 Physical appearance
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Eye Contact
Common expressions about eye contact
 shifty eyes, lying eyes, wild-eyed, kind
eyes, evil eye, glazed over, etc.
Eye contact conveys:
 interest, attention
 attraction, liking
 warmth, immediacy
Eye contact usually enhances
persuasion.
Gaze avoidance
 Strangers are less likely to
comply with a gaze avoiding
requester
 Gaze avoidance may be
perceived as rudeness,
ostracism
 Jurors perceive gaze
avoiding witnesses as less
believable
 “gaze produced greater compliance
than gaze aversion in every one of the
12 studies” (Segrin, 1993, p. 173)
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Eye Contact
The exception to the general rule
 Kleinke (1980) found that an
illegitimate request was more
effective without eye contact
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Smiling
Smiling is an immediacy behavior.
Smiling conveys:
 warmth, attraction, liking,
sincerity
Food servers who smile receive
larger tips.
Cheaters who smiled received
more lenient treatment
Excessive smiling may backfire.
 May be perceived as phony
 May be perceived as shallow
Job applicants who smile are
rated more favorably
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Mirroring
Mirroring involves matching or mimicking another’s behavior
 eye contact, posture, gestures, stance
Mirroring conveys:
 similarity, empathy
Mirroring facilitates persuasion
 Speed daters who used mirroring were rated more highly
 Negotiators who used mirroring were more likely to reach a
deal
 Consumers who evaluated products rated them more highly
when mirroring was used
Mirroring negative nonverbal cues may be counterproductive
 scowling, closed posture
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Gestures
Emblems correspond with
specific words or phrases
Illustrators accompany speech.
 Peace sign
 pointing while saying “it’s over
there…”
 Shush
 “I love you this much…”
 Shame on you
 Drawing in the air while
describing something
 Come here
 Zip it
Emblems facilitate message
recall
 34% with emblems, 11%
without
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Gestures
Adaptors are unintentional cues that signal
negative feelings




Lip biting
Nail biting
Hand wringing
Hair twirling
Adaptors: the exception to the general rule
 Self-touching behaviors tend to inhibit persuasion
 Adaptors signify nervousness, anxiety, boredom,
nervousness, stress Lack of composure
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HAPTICS (TOUCH)
Common expressions
regarding touch
 Being touchy
 keeping in touch.
 being out of touch with
reality.
 a touching gesture
 using the “soft touch” on
someone
 touching on an important
point
Types of touch
brush
caress
clinch
cuddle
embrace
grope
handshake
high five
hit
hold
hug
feel
fondle
kiss
knuckle bump
nibble
pat
pinch
poke
prod
push
reach around
rub
scratch
shove
slap
spank
squeeze
stroke
tickle
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Haptics (touch)
Touch generally facilitates
compliance gaining
 Library patrons who were
touched rated the library more
favorably (Fisher, Rytting, &
Heslin, 1976)
 Food servers who used touch
received larger tips (Crusco &
Wetzel,1984), (Hornick, 1992)
 Touch increased volunteers’
willingness to grad papers
(Patterson, Powell, & Lenihan,
1986)
Touch can




convey positive or negative affect
foster a favorable impression
provide reassurance, empathy
enhance one’s perceived power
Touch must be perceived as
appropriate in location, duration,
intensity.
 friendly vs. flirty vs. sexual
Context is key
 cultural considerations
 gender differences
 Situation or setting
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HANDSHAKES
In Western cultures,
handshakes influence
impressions
 the dead fish
 the bone crusher
 lady fingers
 the swoop in
 the stiff arm
 the two-hander
Higher status people are more
likely to initiate handshakes
Interviewees who offered firm
handshakes were rated more
highly
 Look at the person, not at their
hand
 Make eye contact, smile
 Don’t shake with your left
hand
 the pump handle
 Offer a firm shake, not
overpowering
 the saw
 Use full palm to palm contact
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Proxemics
Geographical closeness increases liking,
attraction
Based on perceived similarity
Even in online settings
Personal space: Standing closer tends to facilitate
compliance gaining
 Close requests (12-18 in.) were more effective than
farther requests (3-4 ft.) when soliciting volunteers
(Baron & Bell, 1976)
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Expectancy Violations Theory
People have expectations about what constitutes
appropriate behavior in social situations (Buller &
Burgoon, 1986)
 example: elevator etiquette
 example: cutting in line
Violations of expectations are perceived positively or
negatively, depending upon:
 the status, reward power of the communicator
 the range of interpretations that can be assigned to the
violation
 the perception/evaluation of the interpreted act
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Chronemics
Time spent waiting confers power, status
 example: M.D.s and patients
 example: Professors and students
Tardiness can negatively impact credibility
 Burgoon et al (1989): late arrivers were considered more
dynamic, but less competent, less sociable than those who
were punctual
Psychological reactance
 Scarcity principle: limited time offers increase perceived
value
 “Must act now,” “limited time offer,” “hurry, only a few left”
 “running out of time,” “on borrowed time” “clock’s winding
down”
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TIME CONSCIOUSNESS VARIES BY CULTURE
Western culture: M-time
emphasizes precise
schedules, promptness,
time as a commodity
 “time is money”
 “New York minute”
 “down time”
 “limited Time Offer!”
Other cultures: P-time
cultures don’t value
punctuality as highly, don’t
emphasize precise
schedules
 “island time”
 Sioux Indians have no
spoken words for “late” or
“tardy”
 “must Act Now”
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Time as a sales strategy
Urgency as a sales tactic
 Home Shopping Network’s countdown clock
 Time windows; shop early and save, super savings from
7am-10am
 1 hour photo, Jiffy Lube, drive through banks, etc.
Non-urgency as a sales strategy
 90 days same as cash
 “No No No” sales (zero down, zero interest, zero payments
for ___ months)
 mega-bookstores that encouraging browsing, lingering
 business that are open 24 hours per day
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Artifacts
Material objects as an extension of the self
Uniforms and compliance gaining
 Lawrence & Watson (1991): requests for
contributions were greater when
requesters wore uniforms
 Bickman (1971): change left in a phone
booth was returned to
 well dressed people 77% of the time
 poorly dressed people only 38% of the time
 Clothing signifies status, authority
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Clothing and status factors
Guéguen (2003): Shoppers were less likely to
report a well-dressed shoplifter than a casually
dressed or poorly dressed shoplifter
 Neatly dressed: suit & tie (90% did not report)
 Neutral: Clean jeans, tee-shirt and jacket,
moccasins (63% did not report)
 Slovenly: Dirty jeans, torn jacket, sneakers (60%
did not report)
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Attractiveness and Social Influence
Looks matter: attractiveness is an asset in persuasion
Attractive people are perceived as having other positive
traits
 happier, friendlier, kinder, stronger
Stewart (1980) studied the relationship between
attractiveness and criminal sentencing
 handsome defendants were twice as likely to avoid a jail
sentence
Benson, Kerabenic, & Lerner (1976): both sexes were
more likely to comply with a request for assistance if
the requester was attractive.
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OTHER ATTRACTIVENESS CUES
Body shape influences perceptions
 Mesomorphs: muscular, athletic
 perceived as more athletic, adventurous
 Ectomorphs; thin, lean
 Perceived as more tense, pessimistic, quiet
 Endomorphs: full, round
 Perceived as more warm, agreeable
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OTHER ATTRACTIVENESS CUES
Facial Appearance affects impressions
 Mature-faced people are perceived as more serious, having
more expertise
 Baby-faced women are perceived as more attractive, but
less mature
 Baby-faced men and women are perceived as more
trustworthy
 Facial symmetry and proportionality is preferred
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OTHER ATTRACTIVENESS CUES
Hair
 Numerous stereotypes regarding women’s hair
color abound
 Candidates with full heads of hair are more likely
to be elected
 Men with beards were perceived as less attractive,
but more trustworthy
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OTHER ATTRACTIVENESS CUES
Height
 Since 1900, the taller
candidate has won 19 of
28 presidential elections
 Obama 6’2”, McCain 5’9”
 Only 3 of 43 American
presidents -- James
Madison, Benjamin
Harrison and Martin Van
Buren -- have been under
5 feet 7 inches
 Half of all male CEOs are
6’ or more.
 A 2004 study found that
every inch of height adds
$789 in salary per year.
 The study controlled for
gender, weight and age.
 Someone who is 6’ tall
earns $5,525 more
annually than someone
who is 5’6”.
 Taller women earned more
as a result of their height,
though they gained only
two-thirds that of the men.
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Paralanguage
It’s how you say it
 Fluency facilitates persuasion.
 Pauses, gaps, diminish credibility
 Speaking faster generally increases credibility.
 Speaking too fast may hinder comprehension.
 Pitch variation generally increases persuasiveness.
 Avoid a monotone delivery.
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