Understanding
Nonverbal
Messages
Preview
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Why Focus on Nonverbal Communication?
The Nature of Nonverbal Communication
Codes of Nonverbal Communication
How to interpret Nonverbal Cues More
Accurately
Nonverbal Communication
Defined
• Communication
other than written
or spoken language
that creates
meaning for
someone
– Sign language is one
exception to this
definition
Why focus on Nonverbal
Communication?
• Nonverbal messages communicate
feelings and attitudes
– Most significant source of emotional
information is the face (Albert
Mehrabian)
– Vocal cues
– Approximately 93% of emotional
meaning is communicated nonverbally.
Why focus on nonverbal
communication?
• Nonverbal messages are
critical to successful
relationships
• Nonverbal messages serve
various functions for
verbal messages:
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Substitute
Complement
Contradict
Repeat
Regulate
Accent
The Nature of Nonverbal
Communication
• Culture-Bound
• Rule-governed
• Ambiguous
– Perception checking
• Continuous
• Non-linguistic
• Multi-channeled
Codes of Nonverbal
Communication
• Appearance
– artifacts
Codes of Nonverbal
Communication
• Body movement,
Gestures, and Posture
– Kinesics refers to the
study of human
movements, gestures,
and postures
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Emblems
Illustrators
Affect displays
Regulators
adaptors
(People En Espaňol Magazine, Aug 2004, pg 20)
Codes of Nonverbal
Communication
• Kinesics Research
– Quasi-courtship behavior – nonverbal
actions we consciously and
unconsciously exhibit when we are
attracted to someone:
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Courtship readiness
Preening
Positional cues
Appeals to invitation
Codes of Nonverbal
Communication
• Eye contact
• Facial expressions
• Touch (haptics)
– Touch ethic
• The Voice
– Paralanguage or vocalics
– Back-channel cues
– Response latencies
Codes of Nonverbal
Communication
• Environment, Space, and Territory
– Physical environment
– Space (proxemics)
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Intimate space
Personal space
Social space
Public space
Edwin T. Hall’s
Zones of Space
Codes of Nonverbal
Communication
• Territory
– Territoriality
– Territorial markers
How to Interpret
Nonverbal Cues
• Immediacy
Immediacy Cues
Proximity:……………………………. Close, forward lean
Body Orientation:……………… Direct, could be side-by-side
Eye Contact:………………………..Eye contact & mutual eye contact
Facial Expression:…………….. Smiling
Gestures:……………………………. Head nods, movement
Posture:………………………………. Open, relaxed, arms oriented toward
others
Touch:………………………………….. Cultural-and-context appropriate
Voice:…………………………………… Higher pitch, upward pitch
How to Interpret
Nonverbal Cues
• Immediacy
– Arousal
– Dominance
What questions
do you have?
•Homework:
– Reading?
– Turn in assignment?