1. Chapter 5
Nonverbal
Communication

2. • Describe the power of nonverbal
communication
• Outline the functions of nonverbal
communication
• Describe the set of communication
symbols that are nonverbal codes
• Illustrate the influences culture,
technology, and situation have on our
nonverbal behavior
Chapter Outcomes

3. The process of
intentionally or
unintentionally
signaling meaning
through behavior other
than words
Nonverbal
Communication

4. • Nonverbal communication is…
– Communicative
– Often spontaneous and
unintentional
– Ambiguous
– More believable than
verbal communication
(channel discrepancy)
The Nature of
Nonverbal
Communication

5. • Reinforcing verbal messages
– Repeating or mirroring verbal
messages
– Complementing verbal behavior by
matching it
– Accenting specific parts
of the verbal behavior
Functions of
Nonverbal
Communication

6. • Substituting verbal
messages
– Occurs in situations where words are
unavailable, inappropriate, or
unintelligible
Functions of
Nonverbal
Communication (cont.)

7. • Contradicting verbal messages
– May be unintentional or intentional
(teasing, joking, sarcasm)
• Regulating or coordinating verbal
interactions
– Pausing to let another speak
– Interrupting to gain control
Functions of
Nonverbal
Communication (cont.)

8. • Creating immediacy, or closeness,
with another
– Eye contact, smiling, appropriate
touching, mimicry
• Deceiving others to believe
something that is false
– Using gestures that normally
signal trustworthiness
Functions of
Nonverbal
Communication (cont.)

9. Symbols we use to
send messages
without, or in
addition to, words
Nonverbal Codes

10. • Gestures and body movements that
send nonverbal messages (kinesics)
– Emblems have direct verbal translations
within a group or culture.
– Illustrators help visually
explain what is being said.
– Regulators help manage
our interactions.
Nonverbal Codes (cont.)

11. Nonverbal Codes (cont.)
• Kinesics (cont.)
– Adaptors satisfy a physical or
psychological need.
– Affect displays convey feelings,
moods, and reactions.

12. • Facial expressions
Nonverbal Codes (cont.)

13. • Eye behavior
– Oculesics is the study of the use of the
eyes to communicate.
– Accepted norms
differ across
cultures.
Nonverbal Codes (cont.)

14. • Voice
– Paralanguage: vocalized sounds that
accompany words; includes
• pitch (variations), tone (modulations),
volume (loudness), pauses, vocal quality,
rhythm, rate
– Vocalizations: cues about
emotional or physical state
• Back-channel cues
include “ah, um, uh”
Nonverbal Codes (cont.)

15. • Physical appearance
– Attractiveness has advantages
– Artifacts (accessories)
matter
Nonverbal Codes (cont.)

16. • Space and environment includes:
Proxemics:
the study of the
way we use and
communicate
with space
• Intimate
• Personal
• Social
• Public
Nonverbal Codes (cont.)

17. • Space and environment (cont.)
– Territoriality: the claiming of an area
through occupation
– Environment: arranging our
surroundings to encourage or
discourage interactions
Nonverbal Codes (cont.)

18. • Touch (haptics) may include:
– Functional-professional touch
– Social-polite touch
– Friendship-warmth touch
– Love-intimacy touch
– Sexual-arousal
touch
Nonverbal Codes (cont.)

19. • Time orientation
– Chronemics: study of how people
perceive the use of time and how they
structure time in their relationships
– Sending a message
using time may be
confusing in certain
situations.
Nonverbal Codes (cont.)

20. • Culture
– Contact vs. noncontact cultures have
different levels of sensitivity to touch.
– Sex and gender influence a person’s
degree of touch, eye contact, or how
nonverbal communication is interpreted.
Influences on
Nonverbal
Communication

21. • Mediated nonverbal communication
– Loss of paralinguistic cues that offer
information
– Emoticons and use of font sizes,
punctuation, and
capitalization help
convey meaning.
Influences on
Nonverbal
Communication (cont.)

22. • The situational context determines
rules of behavior and roles people
must play under different conditions.
– Public-private dimension: physical
space affecting nonverbal
communication
– Informal-formal dimension:
perceptions about personal vs.
impersonal situations
Influences on
Nonverbal
Communication (cont.)