NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
COMM 3325
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Carol L. Benton, Professor of Speech Communication
Department of Communication, Martin 136-P
My office (660) 543-8644 or Department extension (660) 543-4840
Email: benton@ucmo.edu
*Blackboard on-line is used extensively for course delivery
REQUIRED TEXT: Nonverbal Communication: studies and applications/ Mark l. Hickson,
Don W, Sacks, Nina-Jo Moore—4th ed. (Los Angeles, CA.: Roxbury Publishing Company, 2004).
COURSE DESCRIPTION: An examination of selected areas of nonverbal communication; e.g.,
space and territory relationships, physical behavior, appearance and dress, paralinguistics, and
artifacts. This course focuses on specific functions of nonverbal communication to determine
how they work in specific contexts.
This course is a requirement of the B.S.E. Speech Communication and Theatre program.
Therefore it is designed to meet the Missouri Standards for Teacher Education Program
(MoSTEP) Quality Indicators 1.2.1.1, 1.2.7.1, 1.2.7.2, 1.2.7.3
Conceptual Framework:
Belief Statement
The Central educator is a competent, caring, reflective practitioner committed to the premise
that all can learn.
Mission
As a cornerstone of the institution for over 130 years, the University of Central Missouri's
Teacher Education Program shapes teachers and other school professionals who are well
grounded in theory, display competence in content knowledge and instructional strategies, and
possess the dispositions to ensure success for all learners. The Teacher Education Program
prepares individuals as professional educators for an ever-changing, culturally diverse
population. Faculty and candidates provide support and service to schools in meeting their
present and future challenges by developing communities that learn through research and
scholarly activities. Educator preparation is a campus-wide responsibility, a commitment that
reflects the honor and worth of serving a vital profession.
Vision
Through a dedication to teaching, scholarship, collaboration, and outreach, the University of
Central Missouri's Professional Education Faculty prepare school professionals who have high
expectations for P-12 student learning, are informed decision makers, and value diversity. The
UCM Teacher Education Program provides each graduate with a foundation for a life of
continued learning and professional engagement.
COURSE OUTCOMES:
 The student will understand the differences between verbal and nonverbal
communication. (MoStep Quality Indicators 1.2.1.1, 1.2.7.1, 1.2.7.2)
 The student will understand the significant role nonverbal plays in human interaction
and be able to analyze human, nonverbal behavior. (diversity and cultural differences)
(MoStep Quality Indicators 1.2.7.2)
 The student will be able to distinguish among the major forms and types of nonverbal
behavior and be able to describe how non-verbal affects behavior. (MoStep Quality
Indicators 1.2.1.1)
 The student's intellectual skills will be enhanced through examination, papers,
observation, and research projects. (MoStep Quality Indicators 1.2.1.1, 1.2.7.3)
 The student will develop a greater awareness of his/her nonverbal persona and its
impact upon interpersonal relations.
Get help @ your library!
You may access your library account, the online catalog, and electronic databases from James C. Kirkpatrick Library’s
website at http://library.ucmo.edu. For research assistance, you may contact the Reference Desk:
Phone: 543-4154
IM: JCKLReference
Email: reference@libserv.ucmo.edu
RefChat: http://library.ucmo.edu/chat
COURSE POLICIES/EXPECTATIONS:
Participation Grade & Attendance Policy
“Everything Communicates!”
Attendance is required as part of your participation grade and constitutes approximately 20% of your
final earned grade. No more than one week of absences will be allowed in order to qualify for an A
(superior) grade. If you miss more than one week of class, your participation grade will be lowered 20
points for each subsequent absence. If you miss three or more weeks of class, you will automatically
receive a failing grade for the entire course. If you have extenuating circumstances, see the instructor
immediately for guidelines to ensure your success.
Participation is required during exercises, discussions, examinations, etc. You are expected to arrive at
class prepared to discuss &/or question all assigned work. However, avoid cross talk with your neighbor
during class lectures – it is distracting and rude! Please complete readings & assignments, when they are
due. Often there will be self-tests or assigned work that will be referred to during in-class lectures. These
assignments are not intended to be “busy work” but to deepen the explanation of concepts and theories
presented in the textbook. All written work must be completed and turned in on or before the assigned
date. No late or extra credit work will be accepted. Finally, the Blackboard on-line delivery system will
be used for grades, communicating with students, storing assignments, and posting external links. You
are asked to post messages &/or comments, etc. on a weekly basis. (See description below.)
Come to class on time! Please make every effort not to be tardy. If you are late, quietly enter the room to
avoid disturbing the rest of the class. Also, it is your responsibility to obtain notes on what you missed
from another student. Do not expect the instructor to repeat everything discussed during your absence.
If you are tardy more than twice, the third tardy will convert to ONE full absence.
Please turn off your cell phones and do not use them during class. If you have an emergency, please
notify the instructor before class and set your cell phone on vibrate. If you receive an emergency call,
quietly excuse yourself from the room before taking your call. Do not text message others during class—
it’s distracting!
Related Policies
Students with learning, or other, disabilities are requested to inform the instructor immediately and
should contact the Director of Accessibility Services, Union 222 or you may call 660-543-4421.
Since it "is the policy of the University of Central Missouri to prohibit sexual harassment" please consider
the possible effects that your words and actions may have on other men and women in this class. Sexual
discrimination constitutes a violation of federal and state law.
Occasionally controversial subjects &/or personal relationships may be revealed. Please respect your
colleagues through courteous discussion and keep personal information confidential.
Honesty
The purpose of this policy is to encourage a mature attitude toward learning, to establish a sound
academic morale, and to discourage illegitimate aid in examinations, laboratory and homework.
Cheating is defined as using or attempting to use, giving or attempting to give, obtaining or attempting to
obtain products or prepared materials, information relative to a quiz or examination or other work that a
student is expected to do alone and not in collaboration with others. Plagiarism (copying) of themes or
other written work shall also be considered an infraction. All materials distributed in class are the joint
property of the instructor and the University of Central Missouri. Cheating or removing evaluation
materials without permission will result in punitive action in accordance with the Student Handbook's
Regulations/Policies.
Criteria for Final Grade
F: Did very little work for the course; did not complete assignments; plagiarized; missed too many
classes; did not study or comprehend the conceptual material; never spoke in class; did not check
Blackboard or post comments on discussion board; was unable to write coherently.
D: Did not complete some assignments; did poorly on exams, and never talked with the instructor about
ways to improve; rarely checked Blackboard and posted 1-3 messaged during entire semester; spent little
or no time on the course material outside of class; seldom made any productive contributions to class
discussions.
C: Completed minimum requirements of course; participated regularly in exercises and discussions but
did not offer much insight or valuable examples; checked Blackboard once every 2-3 weeks and posted 4-5 messages during entire semester; may have had difficulty understanding some of the conceptual
material.
B: Assignments went beyond the minimum expectations and the routine contents and showed more
signs of learning new ideas from the course; checked Blackboard and posted on discussion board every
other week; participation in classroom discussions was regular, active, and fairly productive; did well on
exams.
A: Made perceptive and insightful contributions to the class; showed regular evidence of personal
insights as a result of the class; communicated freely with the instructor; participated actively and
productively; checked Blackboard and posted on discussion board about weekly; mastered the course
content; helped others in the class. Superior work.
Behavior/Discipline
An important aspect of any classroom is how students conduct themselves in class. Some behaviors are inappropriate
for college students. Inappropriate behaviors are those that disturb other students while lectures are in progress,
when other students are asking questions, and while other students are doing assigned work. Do not expect the
faculty member to warn you about such behavior. Such behavior will lower your final course grade as much as a
letter grade per occurrence; eventually the faculty member may ask you to leave the class. When asked to leave the
class, the student cannot return without either the permission of the professor or the Dean of the College of Arts
Humanities, and Social Sciences.
EVALUATION:
The final grade will be determined by performance on a variety of assignments and assessment
tools produced throughout the semester.
Total: 225-250 = A; 200-224 = B; 175-199 = C; 150-174 = D; Below 149 = F
Midterm Exam
50
There will be a major examination opportunity that will include short answer, multiple choice and brief
essay questions on all course content discussed to that point.
Observation Study & Logs (observation + description)
40
All students will complete nonverbal logs based on participant observation. Each of these logs is worth
20 points. (See expanded description below)
Electronic Poster Session Project
60
All students will create a poster/project and handout on a chosen NV topic. The project ought to
creatively provide insight into a book, essay, academic/popular article, web site, film, television program,
and/or radio broadcast related to nonverbal communication. The purpose of the project is to be able to
convey the main point(s) of the text chosen to a viewer. Words, pictures, sensory stimulation, objects and
artifacts can all be used to convey your deeper understanding about this topic. People ought to be able to
look at your poster (and accompanying handout) and get the point of what you discovered about the text
that is the focus of the project! The supplemental handout is limited to one-page in length. (See
expanded description)
Final Exam
50
There will be a major examination opportunity that will include short answer, multiple choice and brief
essay on all course content discussed from the midterm until the end of the semester. All information
supplied by groups ought to be considered testable material.
Participation
50
All students will receive points related to the amount of productive in-class participation in which they
engage. Half of the points in this category are based on group presentations to the entire class. Student
groups will present/teach assigned information to class. In addition, participation on Blackboard (as
described above) will help identify the participation grade you earned during the semester. Absences
will lower your participation grade. (See policy on preceding page.) One final note: points in this
category are not automatic with attendance—you have to actually participate!
Observation Study and Logs
Rationale: Nonverbal "participant" research is a form of inquiry that allows the researcher to
not only discover how nonverbal theory and concepts apply in every-day life, but it also
prompts personal reflection regarding one's own communicative behaviors. Thoughtful
reflection can lead to meaningful insights that allow for a conscious understanding of how one's
behavior creates reality during interaction.
Assignment description: Each chapter in the text includes numerous “Observational Studies”
to give you an opportunity to apply nonverbal concepts within specific contexts. These studies
are in shaded boxes throughout the text. Each student is responsible for recording nonverbal
cues that s/he observes while doing their specific study. Some studies suggest that you look at
TV. and magazines while others require you to undertake direct observation. If your stuffy
involves observing people, please choose someone other than a class member. Please answer all
of the questions included in the observation study assignment. (Note: The challenge for the
researcher in this type of inquiry is to be descriptive, rather than evaluative.
All typed logs must be done for use during the first scheduled class in which the topic occurs.
Late or absent logs will not be accepted! Each entry is worth 20 points. I recommend that you
take time early on in the semester in order to choose the studies you will do. You must do 2
studies but MAY do more—maximum points for Observational Study/ Log is 40 points.
18- 20 points = Everything listed below PLUS relevant insights about nonverbal communication &/or
research. All format requirements followed.
16-17 points = Easy to read, data is descriptive with correct terminology and context; some
interpretations are connected to literature and/or lecture notes. Most format requirements followed.
14-15 points = Evaluations make description minimal and there is little connection to readings or lecture
terminology. Format not followed.
Under 13 points = Evaluations are virtually absent. Observations are sketchy or unclearly presented.
Required Format (Please follow this exact format and insert on top of your first page):
Observer’s Name: ____________________________ Related to Chapter: __________
Observation Study: ____________ Page________ Date(s) of Study: _____________
Study Subject Area: ________________________________________________________
[Log is to be typed and contain between 250-450 words (about 1-2 pages depending on font.]
Week
Topic
Reading Due
1-2
3
3-5
6-7
8
9
10-11
12
Introduction
Research issues
Space (proxemics)
Physical Appearance
Midterm Exam
Touch (haptics)
Body movements (kinesics)
Vocalics (paralanguage)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 4-5
Chapter 6-7
13
14-15
16
Covert subcodes
All Group Presentations
Evaluate course
Final Exam
Chapter 11
Chapter 3
Chapter 8-9
Chapter 10
Assignment/Project Due
Observation log - space
Observation log - body
Poster session topic; Groups
Observation log - touch
Observation log - gestures
Observation log – vocalic
Poster Session due
Assessing Our Programs in the Department of Communication*
Even the best can improve, which is exactly what we plan to do through all program
assessments. All departmental majors must participate in specific assessment events or projects
during their senior year in order to graduate. Dates, times and locations will be announced.
Look for explanatory brochures on each of the majors in Martin 136.
If your major is:
Then your program assessment includes:
Communication, B.A.
Speech Communication, B.S.
Corporate/Org. Communication, B.S.
Journalism, B.S.
Public Relations, B.S.
Broadcast Media, B.S.
Senior Recital/Formal Presentation
Exit Interview and Portfolio
Portfolio and Knowledge Test
Portfolio
Portfolio
Portfolio/Resume Reel and Exam
Begin preparing now! For more information, please see any department instructor,
the office professional, the department chair, or our web site.
*Note to Students regarding assessment:
Nonverbal Communication provides opportunity for students to collect items suitable for inclusion in portfolios.
Regardless of degree option, including education, department assessment procedures may require students to show
evidence of their skills and abilities. The several papers required of this course may be used to demonstrate the
student’s ability to write, analyze and apply communication theories that support both core curriculum outcomes
and nonverbal communication outcomes. Class materials may also be useful in developing curriculum for use in
secondary speech and theatre classes.