Chapter 6
Oral and Nonverbal
Communication Patterns
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Topics
 Evaluate
thought patterns
 Understand paralanguage
 Appreciate attitudes toward time and use of
space
 Understand the role that eye contact, smell,
color, touch, body language, objects, signs,
and symbols play in communicating
 Learn how silence is used
 Recognize nonverbal leakage
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What is meant by nonverbal
communication?
Nonword messages, such as gestures,
facial expressions, interpersonal
distance, touch, eye contact, smell, and
silence.
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Cultural Differences in Patterns of
Thought or Processes of Reasoning and
Problem Solving
 Deductive
reasoning - going from broad
categories or observations to specific
examples; U.S. persons use deductive
reasoning.
 Inductive reasoning - start with facts or
observations and go to generalizations;
Asians use inductive reasoning.
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Thought Patterns Include Speed of
Making Decisions
U.
S. managers make quick decisions.
The Japanese use a slower method of
problem solving.
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What is meant by paralanguage?
Refers to rate, volume, and quality that
affects the meaning of the message.
 What
does an increased rate of
speech signify? (Impatience or
anger)
 What does an increased volume
indicate? (perhaps anger or a desire
to be heard)
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Differences in loudness of speech is
culture specific and gender specific:
Arabs speak loudly; this is an indication of
strength and sincerity.
 People of the Philippines and Thailand speak
softly; it indicates breeding and education.
 Males usually speak louder than females and at a
lower pitch than females.
 Rate of speech varies with the region of the U.S.;
Northerners speak faster than Southerners.

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Nonverbal Topics
 Chronemics
(time)
 Proxemics (space)
 Oculesics (gaze/eye contact)
 Olfactics (smell)
 Haptics (touch)
 Kinesics (body language)
 Chromatics (color)
 Silence
 Nonverbal Leakage
 Objects, Signs, and Symbols
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Time (Chronemics)
 Attitudes
toward time vary from culture to
culture.
 Countries that follow monochronic time
perform only one major activity at a time
(U.S., England, Switzerland, Germany).
 Countries
that follow polychronic time
work on several activities simultaneously
(Latin America, the Mediterranean, the Arabs).
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Monochronic/Polychronic Cultures
Monochronic People
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do one thing at a time
concentrate on the job
take time commitments
seriously
are committed to the job
show respect for private
property; rarely borrow or
lend
are accustomed to short-term
relationships
Polychronic People
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do many things at once
are highly distractible
consider time commitments
casually
are committed to people
borrow and lend things often
tend to build lifetime
relationships
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Cultural Differences in
Attitudes Toward Time
 U.S.
persons are very time conscious and value
punctuality. Being late for meetings is viewed as
rude and insensitive behavior; tardiness also
conveys that the person is disorganized.
 Germans and Swiss people are even more time
conscious; people of Singapore and Hong Kong
also value punctuality.
 Algerians do not regard punctuality as important;
Latin American countries have a mañana attitude;
people in Arab cultures have a casual attitude
toward time.
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Space (Proxemics)
People in the U.S. tend to need more space
than do persons of other cultures. U.S.
persons back away when people stand too
close. Standing too close is interpreted as
being pushy or overbearing or may also be
interpreted as unwelcomed sexual
advances.
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Space Zones in the U.S.
 The
intimate zone (less than 18 inches) is
reserved for very close friends.
 The personal zone (18 inches to 4 feet) is for
giving instructions to others or working closely
with another person.
 The social zone (4 to 12 feet) is used in business
situations in which people interact in a formal,
impersonal way.
 The public distance is over 12 feet.
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U.S. people need more space than do
Greeks, Latin Americans, or Arabs.
The Japanese stand even farther away
than do U.S. persons.
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Elevator Proxemics
A psychology professor at a southern university gave his
students an assignment to test elevator proxemics.
Students reported the usual U.S. behaviors of facing the
front and watching the illuminated floor indicator, assuming
the Fig Leaf Position (hands/purses/ briefcases hanging down in
front of the body), and positioning themselves in the corners or
against the elevator walls. Then the professor added
another assignment: students were to break the rules and
get on the elevator, stand at the front facing the other
occupants and jump backward off the elevator just before
the door closed. One of the elevator occupants was heard
to whisper, “Call 911; we’ve got a real weirdo here” (Axtell,
1998).
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The Office Environment and
Nonverbal Messages
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U.S. persons prefer desks and chairs in a face-to-face
arrangement or at right angles, while the Chinese prefer
the side-by-side arrangement.
In the U.S. outside offices with windows have more status
than inside offices; large offices have more status than
small ones; the top floor has more status than the first
floor.
French top-level executives occupy the middle of an office
area with subordinates around them.
The Japanese do not consider private offices appropriate;
only the highest ranking officers have private offices and
may have desks in large work areas as well.
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Gaze/Eye Contact (Oculesics)
Although people in the U.S. favor direct eye contact,
in other cultures, such as the Japanese, the reverse
is true; they direct their gaze below the chin. In the
Middle East, on the other hand, the eye contact is
more intense than U.S. people are comfortable with.
A prolonged gaze or stare in the U.S. is considered
rude. In most cultures, men do not stare at women
as this may be interpreted as sexually suggestive.
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Smell (Olfactics)
 Although
people of the U.S. respond
negatively to body odors, Arabs are
comfortable with natural body odors.
 Other cultures in which smell plays an
important role include the Japanese and
Samoans.
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Touch (Haptics)
 Touch,
when used properly, may create
feelings of warmth and trust; when used
improperly, touch may cause
annoyance and betray trust.
 Hierarchy is a consideration when using
touch in the U.S.: people who are older
or higher rank may touch those who are
younger or of lower rank; equals may
touch each other.
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Middle
Ground
Countries
“Don't Touch”
Cultures
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Japan
U.S. and Canada
England
Scandinavia
Other N. European
countries
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Australia
France
China
Ireland
India
Middle East
countries
“Touch”
Cultures
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Latin American
countries
Italy
Greece
Spain and
Portugal
Some Asian
countries
Russian
Federation
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Location of the Touch Is Important
 Appropriate
touch in the U.S. is limited
to shaking hands in business situations
- no hugs or expressions of affection.
 In Thailand do not touch the head.
 Do not touch Asians on the shoulders or
even the back of the worker's chair.
 Avoid touching a person with the left
hand in the Middle East.
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Body Language (Kinesics)
 Body
language includes facial expressions,
gestures, and posture and stance.
 To interpret facial expressions correctly, it is
important to take the culture and the
communication context into account.
 People in some cultures rarely show
emotion (China); Asians will smile or laugh
softly when they are embarrassed.
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Facial Expressions
 The
face and eyes convey the most
expressive types of body language,
including happiness, surprise, fear,
anger, interest, and determination.
 Facial expressions must be controlled
when they are inappropriate to the
setting (yawning during a presentation).
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Gestures
 Emblems
or symbols ("V" for victory)
 Illustrators (police officer's hand held up to
stop traffic)
 Regulators (glancing at watch when in a
hurry)
 Affect
displays (a person's face turns red
with embarrassment)
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General Guidelines
U.S. Gestures
 Interest
is expressed by maintaining eye
contact with the speaker, smiling, and
nodding the head.
 Open-mindedness is expressed by
open hands and palms turned upward.
 Nervousness is sometimes shown by
fidgeting, failing to give the speaker eye
contact, or jingling keys or money in
one’s pocket.
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 Suspiciousness
is indicated by glancing
away or touching the nose, eyes, or ears.
 Defensiveness is indicated by crossing the
arms over the chest, making fisted
gestures, or crossing the legs.
 Lack of interest or boredom is indicated by
glancing repeatedly at one’s watch or
staring at the ceiling or floor or out the
window when the person is speaking.
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Posture and Stance
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Posture can convey self-confidence, status, and
interest.
Confident people have a relaxed posture, yet stand
erect and walk with assurance.
Walking with stooped shoulders and a slow, hesitating
gait projects negative messages of lack of confidence.
Interest is demonstrated by leaning forward toward the
person with whom you are conversing.
The posture of U.S. persons is casual, including sitting
in a relaxed manner and slouching when standing
(considered rude in Germany).
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Posture and Stance
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Posture when seated varies with the culture; U.S.
persons often cross their legs while seated (women
at the ankle and men with the ankle on the knee).
Most Middle Easterners would consider crossing the
leg with the ankle on the knee inappropriate.
Avoid showing the sole of your shoe or pointing your
foot at someone in the Arab world.
Follow the lead of persons of the other culture;
assume the posture they assume.
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Color (Chromatics)
 Colors
have cultural variations in
connotations.
– Black is the color of mourning in the U.S., but
white is worn to funerals by the Japanese.
– In the U.S. white is typically worn by brides, while
in India red or yellow is worn.
– Purple is sometimes associated with royalty, but it
is the color of death in Mexico and Brazil.
– Red (especially red roses) is associated with
romance in some cultures including the U.S.
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Nonverbal Leakage
 Nonverbal
leakage occurs when people are
unsuccessful in attempting to control
messages sent nonverbally.
 While people are successful in controlling
facial expressions, leakage occurs in the
arms, hands, feet, and legs; these areas are
difficult to control.
 Identified in U.S. culture by physiological
changes such as pupil size, as well as licking
lips and tapping fingers on a table.
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Objects, Signs, and Symbols
 Objects
(clothing, accessories, office
furnishings)
 Signs (arrows, circles with diagonal
lines across pictures/figures)
 Symbols (peace sign, flags, symbolic
ribbons)
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