Comparing Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Both are symbolic.Both are rule guided.

Both can be intentionalor unintentional.

Both are culture-bound.

Both are symbolic.Both are rule guided.

Both can be intentionalor unintentional.

Both are culture-bound.

Nonverbal communication is usually perceivedas more believable.

Nonverbal can be multichanneled.Nonverbal is continuous.

Nonverbal communication is usually perceivedas more believable.

Nonverbal can be multichanneled.Nonverbal is continuous.

Similarities Differences

Nonverbal Behavior

Accounts for 65% - 93% of thetotal meaning of communication

Nonverbal Communication

• Kinesics (body motion) • Haptics (touch) • Physical appearance• Artifacts • Paralanguage• Silence • Environmental factors• Proxemics and personal space• Chronemics (time)

Everything

except the

words!

Everything

except the

words!

When nonverbal and verbal messages are inconsistent, we tend to believe the nonverbal.

Principles of Nonverbal Communication

• May supplement or replace verbal communication

• May regulate interaction• Often establishes relationship-level

meanings Responsiveness Liking Power

• Reflects and expresses cultural values

• Content level of meaning The literal, or

denotative, information in a message

• Relationship level of meaning Meaning that

expresses the relationship between communicators

KinesicsBody positions and movement including those of the face

• Posture can signal self-assurance.• Posture can tell others if we are open to

interaction.• The face is capable of over one thousand

different expressions.• Nonverbal behaviors such as positioning,

smiling, close seating and gazes signal how we feel about others.

Eyes “The mirrors of the soul”

• We tend to look at eyes to judge Emotions Honesty Interest Self-confidenceM

icro

soft

Pho

to

Haptics (touch)

• Touching and being touched are essential to a healthy life.

• Touch can communicate power and status.

• Women tend to touch to show liking, while men often use touch to exert power.

Mic

roso

ft P

hoto

Who Touches the Most?

• Teacher or student?

• Doctor or patient?

• Manager or worker?

• Minister or parishioner?

• Police officer or accused?

• Business executive or secretary?

The higher status person is usually permitted to touch the lower-status

person.

What implications does this

behavior have?

Sexual Harassment

Creation of a hostile or uncomfortable environment Unwelcome gestures Body language Conversation Sexually oriented printed

material

Physical Appearance

• What message do you wish to send with your choice of clothing and personal grooming?M

icro

soft

Pho

to

ArtifactsPersonal objects we use to

announce our identities and heritage and to personalize our

environments

Mic

roso

ft P

hoto

s

Environmental Factors

• Elements of settings that affect how we feel and act Architecture Colors Temperature Sounds Smells Lighting

Proxemics and Personal Space• Every culture has norms for using space.

In the U.S. we interact with acquaintances from 4’ to 12’ and within 18” or less for close friends or intimates.

In China families often share bathrooms and kitchens with other families.

• People who want to even out power seek out neutral territory. Greater space may be assumed by those with

higher status. Those with greater power often invade others’

territory.

Proxemics and Personal Space

• How people arrange space reflects how close they are and whether they want interaction. Home furniture arranged comfortably and

close invites conversation. Offices with seating open rather than a desk

separating people invites interaction.

• Restaurants can arrange seating to encourage people to spend time or to eat quickly and leave.

Chronemics (time)

• How do we manage and react to others’ management of time Duration Activity Punctuality

Mic

roso

ft P

hot

o

Paralanguage

• Sounds (gasps and murmurs)• Vocal qualities

Volume Rhythm Pitch Inflection

• How we pronounce words• The accents we use• Complexity of our sentences

Communication that is vocal but that does not use words themselves

Silence

• Silence can be comforting. When intimates are

so close they do not need to talk

When there is an absence of disturbing noise

• Silence can be a disconfirming symbol. When you talk to

someone and they do not reply

When children are disciplined by being ignored

Interpretation of others Nonverbal Cues

• Research has shown that the lower status person has more skills at interpreting the nonverbal cues of people with higher status. Women were once thought to have intuition

now we may think it is only because they had lower status.

Who would be the least skilled at interpreting other’s nonverbal cues?

Experiencing Communication in our Lives . . .

View the following video clip and then answer the questions that follow based on material presented in this chapter. A script of the scenario can be found at

the end of Chapter 6.

1. Identify nonverbal behaviors that regulate turn-taking within the team.

2. Identify nonverbal behaviors that express the relational level of meanings. What aspects of team members nonverbal communication express liking or disliking, responsiveness or lack of responsiveness, and power?

3. How do artifacts affect interaction among members of the team?

4. If you were the fifth member of this team, what kinds of communication might you enact to help relieve tension in the group?

You may go to your student CD that accompanies the text to compare your answers to Julia Wood’s.

To improve our communication . . .

We need to monitor our own nonverbal communication and

exercise care in interpreting that of others.