Nonverbal communication 1
The basic distinction:
• Non-verbal communication
• Verbal communication
Distinguishing between verbal and
vocal communication
• Four types of communication
• 1. Verbal/vocal communication
communication through the spoken word
• 2. Verbal/nonvocal communication
words are involved but no speaking takes place
• 3. Nonverbal/vocal communication
interjection
• 4. Nonverbal/nonvocal communication
nonlinquistic messages, involves only gestures and
appearance
• Nonverbal communication has a biological
basis.
• Human nonverbal communication is linked with
certain patterns of animal behavior.
• During human evolution – before genesis of a
speech -humans used nonverbal communication.
• Many nonverbal expressive means are
not voluntary controlled.
• Many nonverbal expressions are linked
with vegetative reactions and reflexes.
• Some features of nonverbal
communication do not depend of a
particular culture, others appear only
within specific social groups or societies.
Interest in nonverbal communication
• The research in the fields of etology and
social anthropology in the 20th century.
• Importance of nonverbal information
channel.
• Proportion of verbal and nonverbal message
in communication.
• Power of nonverbal communication.
• Use of knowledge about nonverbal
communication.
Proportion of verbal and nonverbal
message in communication
• Mehrabian (1972): 93 percent of social
meaning in face-to face communication is
conveyed through nonverbal cues.
• Birdwhistell (1970) 65 percent.
The basic elements of nonverbal
communication
• The basic expressive means:
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facial expressions (facial gestures)
Gestures (body language)
Postures
Actions
Spatial behavior
Contact behavior
Mutilation behavior
Behavior in time
Spatial behavior
(proxemic)
• Proxemic – research of spatial behavior
It covers:
• Personal space
• Orientation in space in relation to other
people
• Occupation of a space (table, office)
Territorial behavior
• Territorial behavior - naturalness of animals
and human beings.
• Territory in animals - a part of area, which is
protected against invaders (aliens) of the same
species.
Territory in humans
• Two types of human territory:
• Official act. The territory is fenced (fences,
barriers) and it is warned that the territory is
private property.
• Spontaneous genesis of a territory. It is based
on unwritten agreements and/or nonverbal
communication.
Temporary territory
• Temporary territory – the human demands
a space, which is not his/her permanent
property.
• Space, which is used transiently (e.g. a chair
or a desk in a classroom, a seat in public
transport)
Spatial zones
Four areas of spaces
• Hall
(E.T. Hall, The Silent Language, New York,
Fawcett, 1959)
• On the basis of observation of human
behavior he distinguishes between four
areas of space. Criterion – spatial distance.
1. Intimate space
2. Personal space
3. Social space
4. Public space
Intimate space
• Distance approximately 0 - 45 cm
• Narrow intimate space
It starts with bodily contact and ends in
distance 15 cm or less.
• Broad intimate space
Distance approximately 15 - 45 cm.
Narrow intimate space
• It starts with bodily contact and ends in
distance 15 cm or less.
• Other persons can enter the zone in the case
of protection or intimate contact.
• Unintentional space violation – in public
transport – an apology. A person could
interpret our behavior as an attack.
Broad intimate space
• Distance approximately 15 - 45 cm.
• Relatives, partners, close friends can enter.
• Details of skin, make-up, perspiration is
very well visible. Therefore the contacts
with alien persons is not agreeable.
Intimate space – the difference
between urban and rural population
• There is the difference in extent of intimate zone
between urban and rural population.
• Intimate space is more narrow in urban
population than in rural one.
• In rural population is intimate space approx.
twice as broad as in urban inhabitants.
• Countrymen shake hands in distance 1 m, while
citizens in distance 45 cm.
Personal space
• Distance approximately 45 - 120 cm
• Narrow personal space
Distance approximately 45-90 cm.
• Broad personal space
Distance approximately 75-120 cm
Narrow personal space
• Distance approximately 45-90 cm.
• Close friends and relatives can enter. People
can not enter to this space without
permission.
• Discussion with the other person is
confidential.
Broad personal space
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Distance approximately 75-120 cm.
To keep distance from people.
Contact with friends, social activities.
In the case of violation of our personal
space we often involuntary shrink back –
innate defensive reaction.
Social space
• Distance approximately 1,2 - 3,6 m.
(Greater distance is not appropriate for
communication closed places.)
• Narrow social space
Distance 120-210 cm.
• Broad social space
Distance 210-360 cm.
Narrow social space
• Distance approximately 1,2-2,1 m.
• Meeting with alien people and for
impersonal acts.
Broad social space
• Distance approximately 2,1-3,6 m.
• Teaching in school, meetings. It enables
communication of several people.
Cultural differences:
• Near distances
Arab, Japan, South America, France,
Grees, Italy, Spain
• Intermediate distances
Great Britain, Sweden, Swiss, Germany,
Austria
• Large distances
North America (white), Australia, New
Zeeland
Public space
• Distance 3,6 m and more.
• This distance is maintained by politicians,
commanders, officials.
• It is called also “an escape area“.
Factors influencing extent of personal
space
• An extent of personal space depends on certain
personal traits.
• Introverts tends to keep a greater distance compare to
extraverts.
• The research in a jail (Kinzel, 1968):
• Violent prisoners (violent offence) had personal space
twice as broad as non-violent prisoners
• Violent prisoners had feeling of danger, if somebody
came near, they expected physical attack.
Communication with spatial
behavior
• Violation or observance personal space is
involuntary perceived and estimated.
• It results in correct or wrong understanding to
intention of other persons.
• It can help with our effort to get confidence and
contact wit other person.
• The distance, from which we shake hand
with other person can play an important
role our our effect to other person.
• It can cause fear, anger or
misunderstanding (without saying a
word).
Positive effect of violation of
personal space
• In certain circumstances violation of personal
space can increase common sympathy.
• It must be complemented with verbal praise or
other friendly nonverbal signals (smile).
• In this case decrease of distance increases
common sympathy, interest and willingness to
cooperate.
• Recommendation:
• Be able to use whole scale of distances!
• The skill of manipulation with zones of other
people.
• To respect individual and cultural differences.
Spatial orientation
• The angle between two persons.
Gender differences
• Males occupy mostly frontal position, if
they speak to a friend.
• Females occupy mostly lateral position, if
they speak to a friend.
Seating preferences at a
rectangular table
• Preffered kinds of a position choice in a
table depend of an activity and relation
between people setting around the table.
• A situation affects the choice of orientation
in a space.
The office of a boss – expression of dominance
• Roundtable – there are not more or
less important positions
Activity in a classroom
• Knapp (1978) – students sitting in front and
central part of a classroom are more active and
more participate to the other students.
Behavior in time (chronemic)
• Temporal characteristics of
communication.
• Those characteristics can hold a
nonverbal message.
– Answer to a letter or a mail – how early?
– Arrangement of an appointment. How early
(several days or a hour)?
– How long we wait in the office of our boss?
• Timing causes certain expectations.
• Thos expectations influence
subsequent verbal communication.
Late arrival
• Late arrival, which disturbs rules of a social
behavior.
• It sends a nonverbal message. A subsequent
verbal message has to refute it (or to
confirm).
• Cultural difference - Anglo-saxonian culture
respect a rule „Time is money“, importance of
punctuality. Italian and Spains approximation, early or late.
Monochronic a polychronic
concept of time
• Monochronic and polychronic concept of
time (Hall, 1984).
• Monochronic concept of time – we are
doing one think in a time.
• Polychronic concept of time - we are doing
more thinks in a time.
Cultural differences in concept of time
• Anglo-saxonian a West-European culture is
monochronic, while many cultures of South are
polychronic. When representants of the both
culures meet each other – misunderstanding.
• Each country has its own time and¨tempo (French
sociologict Gurvitch, 1964). Time in France is not
identical to time in Norway etc.
Mutilation behavior and its
function in nonverbal communication
• Mutilation behavior – results in change of extent,
shape or color of human body.
• Mutilation and accessories seemingly have not a
communicative meaning. They reflect aesthetics
feeling, social norms, beliefs, attitudes.
• Communicative meaning: an individual transmits
information about himself /herself.
Irreversible changes
• „hard“
– Teeth zuby: vkládání ozdob, pilování
– Bones of sole (China)
– "soft“
– tatto
Reversible changes
• Changes of color of the skin
• Changes of extent and shape of human
body.
Changes of color of the skin
• Animals – changes of shapes and color of
body occur.
• Ancient times – warriors colored their
faces.
• Recent women – rouge, make-up,
powder, creams.
• Change of hair color.
Changes of extent and shape of
the body.
• Animals – changes of shapes and color of body
occur.
• Fight, courtship.
• Female haircuts. The differences between extent
and arrangement. Female haircuts had been very
large.
• Males – cut of clothes. Jacket with broad shoulder.
Clothes and accessories in
nonverbal communication
• Colors
• Nonverbal communication with meaning of colors.
Meaning of colors
• Meaning of certain colors is equal in various
cultures.
• Red – alarm function, a symbol of power, fight
(color of a blood). Clothes – dictators, kings,
bishops.
• Black – agression, evil.
• White – a symbol of a peace, innocence.
• „Warm“ colors activate autonomous neuronal
system, increase heart beat and blood pressure.