5.10 SKILL BUILDER: Elevator Eyes
1. Working with a partner, spend one hour recording what people do with their eyes
when riding an elevator. How many people, for example, establish eye contact with at
least one other occupant? How many avoid it? How many stare at the buttons, their
feet, or other items? How many attempt to establish conversation with strangers?
2. Categorize your notes into the following categories:
____Number of people observed
____Stared at buttons
____Scanned others
____Contemplated feet
____Stared at objects
____Made small talk
____Fiddled with appearance
3. Report your findings to the class.
5.11 SKILL BUILDER: The Table
1. Imagine that you enter the school dining room with a plate of food. It is raining. You
cannot go outside. Every table is full except one. A bird’s-eye view of the table is
shown below.
X
A B
C D
E
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You must sit in chair A, B. C, D, or E. The person who is sitting in the chair
marked X is described below. For each situation, where would you sit?
Person Chair Reason
1. Your best friend
2. Stranger who has
body odor
3. Attractive person you
would like to meet
4. Professor who
unfairly failed you last
term
2. Compare your choices and reasons with those of your classmates.
5.12 SKILL BUILDER: Look-Alikes
Do older married members of your students’ families tend to look alike, as suggested in
the text? (See the box “Sledded Faces.”) If possible, have students bring separate
photographs of spouses. (Ideally, the students should take a Polaroid photo of each
spouse.)
Lay the photos out at random. Have class members individually attempt to match up the
spouses. You might number each photo and have the students pair up the appropriate
numbers.
How effective were the students in matching spouses? Do they agree that spouses tend to
look alike? Why or why not?
5.13 SKILL BUILDER: Check Out the Eye Movements
Begin a conversation with someone who is not in this class. Ask this person visual or
auditory questions similar to the ones in the text. Carefully watch his or her eye
movements. Do the eyes move as described by researchers in the field of neurolinguistic
programming?
5.14 SKILL BUILDER: Facial Broadcast
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1. Choose a partner. Each of you in turn should select an emotion at random from the
following list:
happiness
anger
sadness
surprise
2. Turn away from your partner and formulate a facial expression that you believe
portrays the emotion selected. Then turn your back to your partner, who is to guess the
emotion you are portraying. Reverse roles and repeat the exercise.
3. What is it about your partner’s face that causes you to identify one feeling rather than
another?
4. Now challenge yourselves by adding the following emotions to the list and repeating
the exercise.
shame
love
despair
sorrow
humiliation
rage
disgust
astonishment
coyness
nervousness
5. To what extent were these additional emotions more difficult for the performer? For
the observer? How accurate were your observations?
5.15 SKILL BUILDER: Posture Poses
1. The class is divided into groups of three—two “models” and one “photographer.” The
two “models” are to be placed in a pose that will demonstrate one of the relationships
listed below. Their hands must remain at their sides, but they may sit or stand; slump
or be straight; or lean forward, backward, or to either side. Choose from these
relationships.
Servant and employer
Waiter and customer
Two people with romantic interest
Two boxers before a fight
Boss and secretary
Teacher and student who is failing
Your choice
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2. After the models are posed (like a “still photograph”), class members will attempt to
identify their relationship.
3. Note the cues you used to interpret the various poses. Were some of the relations
easier to identify than others? If so, why?
5.16 SKILL BUILDER: KAPP Scan
Ask students to complete a KAPP Scan for interactions that they observe outside the
classroom. That is, they are to observe interactions under the following four categories:
kinesics, artifacts, proxemics and paralanguage. Their job is first to describe the
behaviors they observe. Then they can discuss their conclusions about the interactants
and their relationship.
1. In what ways can the Kapp Scan be used in business situations? For example,
does it have use in negotiations? Sales presentations to individuals or small
groups?
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KAPP SCAN WORKSHEET
KAPP SCAN
Instructions: Observe two people interacting, and describe their behaviors according to KAPP.
Based on your KAPP Scan (nonverbal analysis) of these people, what do you know about them? Who are
they? What is their relationship? How long have they known each other? Who has the power in the
relationship?
Category Your Observation of Behaviors
KINESICS
ARTIFACTS
PROXEMICS
PARALANGUAGE
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5.17 SKILL BUILDER: Nonverbal Immediacy Scale (NIS)
Nonverbal immediacy research has indicated that communicators who engage in
nonverbally immediate behaviors with others are seen by those others in a more positive
way than they see people who do not engage in nonverbal immediacy behaviors. In the
Fall 2003 issue of Communication Quarterly, researchers Virginia Richmond, James
McCroskey, and Aaron Johnson identified 26 nonverbal immediacy behaviors. The more
behaviors the subject used, the better communicator he or she was perceived to be.
Working with a partner, quietly observe two people talking. Once you have had time to
observe them interacting for a few minutes, fill out the NIS. Each of the partners
completes a NIS Worksheet for one of the participants. You can repeat the exercise by
watching scenes from films.
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NONVERBAL IMMEDIACY SCALE WORKSHEET
Instructions: The following statements describe the ways people behave while talking with or to others. In
the space to the left of each item please indicate the degree to which you believe the statement applies to
your target person. Use the following 5-point scale:
1=Never
2=Rarely
3=Occasionally
4=Often
5=Very often
_____ 1. The subject uses his or her hands and arms to gesture while talking to people.
_____ 2. The subject touches others on the shoulder or arm while talking to them.
_____ 3. The subject uses a monotone or dull voice while talking to people.
_____ 4. The subject looks away from others while talking to them.
_____ 5. The subject moves away from others when they touch him or her while they are talking.
_____ 6. The subject has a relaxed body position when he or she talks to people.
_____ 7. The subject frowns while talking to people.
_____ 8. The subject avoids eye contact when talking to people.
_____ 9. The subject has a tense body position while talking to people.
_____ 10. The subject sits close or stands close to people while talking with them.
_____ 11. The subject’s voice is monotonous or dull when he or she talks to people.
_____ 12. The subject uses a variety of vocal expressions when talking to people.
_____ 13. The subject gestures when talking to people.
_____ 14. The subject is animated when talking to people.
_____ 15. The subject has a bland facial expression when talking to people.
_____ 16. The subject moves closer to people when talking to them.
_____ 17. The subject looks directly at people while talking to them.
_____ 18. The subject is stiff when talking to people.
_____ 19. The subject has a lot of vocal variety when talking to people.
_____ 20. The subject avoids gesturing while talking to people.
_____ 21. The subject leans toward people when talking to them.
_____ 22. The subject maintains eye contact with people when talking to them.
_____ 23. The subject tries not to sit or stand close to people when talking with them.
_____ 24. The subject leans away from people when talking to them.
_____ 25. The subject smiles when talking to people
_____ 26. The subject avoids touching people when talking to them.
Scoring the Nonverbal Immediacy Scale
Step 1. Start with a score of 78 and add to it the scores from the following items:
1,2,6,10,12,13,14,16,17,19,21,22, and 25.
Step 2. Add up the scores from the following items:
3,4,5,7,8,9,11,15,18,23,24, and 26.
Step 3. Deduct the Step 2 Total Score from the Step 1 Total Score to find the Nonverbal
Immediacy Score
Compare the scores of the two interactants. Did the person who appeared to be the better
communicator score higher on the scale? Do you feel this scale will tend to make women score
higher than men? Why?
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5.18 SKILL BUILDER: The Future of Faces
Do you remember the movie Face Off? In this film, John Travolta and Nicholas Cage
switched faces, making it virtually impossible for people to tell who was who. We
thought such an act was the stuff science fiction is made of. However, a recent article in
the magazine section of The New York Times indicated that the technology is in place for
surgeons to perform a full face transplant. Just as hearts and other organs are harvested
for use in people who would otherwise die, so faces may now also be cut, lifted out, and
saved for use by someone whose natural face has been disfigured either by illness or
accident.
Transplanting a face raises questions concerning identity. Another person would now be
endowed with the skin tone, texture, eyebrow color, and so on, of someone else. Yet, if
the proper synaptic relays between the nerves were not made, the person who was the
beneficiary of the face transplant might suffer from a condition called dyskinesia, an
internal misfiring of nerve signals that could, for example, cause people to frown when
they meant to smile. On the positive side, however, the transplant could be totally
effective, and someone who had no usable nose or mouth before, for example, would now
be able to relate to others using facial expressions.
Would you accept some else’s face if you required one? Were you an organ donor, would
you include your face among those organs that you were willing to donate upon your
death? What do you see as the differences, if any, between donating or accepting a face
and purchasing and applying new makeup or having plastic surgery?
5.19 SKILL BUILDER: Creating Rapport via Matching
Police detectives are using Bandler and Grinder’s neurolinguistic programming system to
build rapport with persons they interview. They match the interviewee’s nonverbal
behavior such as leaning forward or backward with the interviewee leans forward or
backward. They also pay close attention to how the interviewee talks so that they can
match the interviewee’s paralinguistic cues including speech rate, volume, and pitch.
Because people tend to like people who are like themselves, by using neurolinguistic
programming techniques, the detectives increase their chances of gathering information.
The closer the matching of the interviewee’s body language and nonverbal cues, the
deeper the rapport that is built between the detective and the interviewee.
1. Select a person to interview about the nature of their career. As you interview the
person, attempt to use matching behavior to create rapport. Report on your experience to
the class.
Caution: There is a difference between mirroring and mimicking behavior. When you
mimic behavior you are likely to offend the other person. Mirroring behavior requires
subtlety.
5.20 SKILL BUILDER: Sitcom
Tape a few minutes of a sitcom. Ask students to focus their attention on the facial
expressions of the actors. What is happening in the upper face? In the lower face? How
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much of the acting seems natural? How much of it is forced for the laugh? Do people in
real life have such exaggerated facial expressions?
Cleaver Hans: A Story for Concluding Nonverbal Communication
At the turn of the 20th century in Berlin, Germany a man named Von Osten purchased a
horse, which he named Hans. Van Osten trained Hans to count by tapping a front hoof.
He could also multiply, divide, and subtract.
Van Osten exhibited Hans at fairs and carnivals. The crowds loved it when the horse
could correctly count the number of people in the audience, the number of people
wearing glasses, or the number of people wearing hats—all by tapping his foot. Later,
Hans learned the alphabet. A was one tap, B was two taps, and so on.
A committee was formed to see if Hans was a fake. Professors of psychology and
physiology joined the head of the Berlin Zoo, veterinarians and other “experts.” Van
Osten was not permitted to be present when the horse was tested, but despite the absence
of his trainer, Hans was able to answer all the questions.
Another committee was formed. This time Von Osten whispered one number into
the horse’s ear. Another experimenter whispered a number into Hans’s other ear. Hans
was instructed to add the numbers–an answer none of the observers knew. Hans could
not do it. It seemed that Hans could answer a question only if someone he could see knew
the answer.
Why do you suppose Hans had to see someone who knew the answer? Apparently
when Hans tapped the right number, the observers would relax and move slightly. Hans
knew to stop tapping. Thus, somehow the horse had the ability to respond to the almost
imperceptible movements of people around him.
He knew when to stop tapping. I know it is time for me to stop talking.
5.21 SKILL BUILDER: Clothes Talk
People use clothing to advertise their position or interest in issues, their views about
religion and their status. Inventory the clothing, “T” shirts and accessories you have. Do
any prominently display or advertise a message? If so, would you consider wearing it to
class?
5.22 SKILL BUILDER: Something Different
Tomorrow wear something different to school or to work. Your change in dress style
should be noticeable. Assess the results. How did people respond to you? Were people
surprised? What questions were you asked? Be prepared to report to the class.
5.23 SKILL BUILDER: Magic of Sign
Marilyn Daniels’s book Dancing with Words is an exploration of the dynamics of
language acquisition through Sign Language. She takes the position that babies and
young children are ready to deal with sign before spoken language. Have you had any
training in sign? Do you know people who have? Do you feel that everyone should have
some exposure to this form of nonverbal communication?
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5.24 SKILL BUILDER: Brainstorm
Work with your team to brainstorm 10 ways we use nonverbal communication in our
daily lives. Share your list with the class. Do you feel that nonverbal communication is a
major part of our communication toolbox? Why?
5.25 SKILL BUILDER: Role Play
Work with a partner or a team. Role Play a communication scenario that involves the use
of a mixed message. Ask the audience of determine which message they believe and why.
For example, if you say yes while shaking your head no, which message is believed?
5.26 SKILL BUILDER: Eye Contact & Interactions
How does eye contact or its lack affect your interactions with others? Use the following
experimental conditions when talking to others to find out:
1. Keep your eyes on the floor.
2. Glance around continually.
3. Stare at the other person’s face.
4. Look at the other person’s waist.
5. Maintain comfortable eye contact.
6. Compare and contrast your results.
5.27 SKILL BUILDER: Nonverbal Communication and Status
Do you think if you were taller, spoke louder, and were perceived by others as more
dominant, it would help you advance your career?
According to Stanford University professor Lara Tiedens, business people acquire status
by looking directly at others, using an open stance and vigorous gestures, speaking loudly
in a deep voice, interrupting at will and leaning in close to reduce The space of others,
while expanding their own. Thus, she recommends that to advance you try to be seen as
taller and louder, even borderline rude.
What do you think about these guidelines? Put some of the techniques to work when you
leave this class and see what responses you receive.
5.28 SKILL BUILDER: Ask a Friend
Ask a friend to write down answers after you read the following sentence, emphasizing
the italicized words:
How many animals of each species did Moses take aboard the ark?
Most will answer two.
Next, read the sentence again emphasizing the word Moses. Did your friend change his or
her answer? Why?
5.29 SKILL BUILDER: Guess the Alphabet
Ask a group of friends to try to guess which of the following emotions you are expressing
while you recite the alphabet (select 1).
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Happiness, sadness, anger, jealousy, fear, love nervousness, pride, satisfaction, sympathy.
Repeat using another emotion
5.30 SKILL BUILDER: Classroom
Have students examine the arrangement of your classroom.
How are the chairs arranged? Does the teacher use a lectern or desk or speak from a
raised platform? Devise an alternative classroom design that you believe will promote
more interaction. Then redesign it to inhibit interaction.
Would it be possible to do the same exercise with an office?
5.31 SKILL BUILDER: Colors
Bring in examples of the kinds of messages the colors on packaged goods communicate
to consumers. Consider this: Market research reveals that when choosing which detergent
to purchase, women believe that detergents packaged in blue boxes may be too weak,
those in yellow boxes may be too strong, but those packaged in blue boxes with splashes
of yellow are probably just right.
5.32 SKILL BUILDER: Marasmus
Marasmus, a Greek word meaning “wasting away”, was the term used in the 19th and
early 20th centuries to describe a disease babies placed in orphanages or hospitals died
from. These infants suffered from a lack of physical contact.
Today, in part because of the threat of sexual harassment, teachers refrain from touching
students, and employers refrain from touching people with whom they work.
Is such a lack of touch contributing to people’s thinking that the corporations they work
for are cold and uncaring? Should warm and healing, as opposed o sexual touching be put
back into our schools and workplaces? What should be the rules of touch?
5.33 SKILL BUILDER: Jokes
Do you think jokes play as well online as they do when delivered by someone in person?
How does the loss of nonverbal cues influence the impact of a joke? How could you use
emoticons to compensate for the loss of such cues?
5.34 SKILL BUILDER: Smiley Faces
Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott Fahlman, believes he with the first to use
three keystrokes—a colon followed y a hyphen and a parentheses—as a horizontal smiley
face in a computer message.
This paved the way for emoticons to express sentiments that might otherwise be
misinterpreted online. To mark a quarter of a century of use, he and colleagues began an
annual student contest for innovation in technology-assisted person-to-person
communication.
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Work with others to create a new emoticon, explain its make up and discuss the need it
meets.
5.35 SKILL BUILDER: Service Learning
Work with a team to develop a 15 minute introduction to nonverbal communication. This
presentation should have a handout that will make it easy for participants to recall the
information. You may wish to incorporate a video clip from film or television to illustrate
your points. Incorporate a great deal of audience participation.
Locate an audience to hear your presentation. It might be a school club or an outside
organization that helps people who are job hunting. You will want to videotape the
presentation to share with your class members and your instructor.
5.36 SKILL BUILDER: Listen and View
Ask students to work in groups. The group should select and bring in music
and/or films or film clips that they feel relate to the content of this chapter. Ask
them to play the clips and discuss why they feel they are related to the chapter.
VIDEO AND OTHER SOURCES
Of course, video works very well for nonverbal communication lessons.
Here are some of the titles we use.
Exposed: Observing Human Behavior. A BBC documentary distributed in the United
States by Films for the Humanities. www.films.com. Or 800 257-5126.
Lie to Me. The program ran for a few years. We use the opening of the first season to
introduce nonverbal. Paul Ekman was the consultant on this program and it was very well
done. DVD available through Amazon.
Lies and How to Spot Them. New Dimensions Media. 800 288-4456. Ekman appears on
this video analyzing several nonverbal examples. www.ndmquestar.com.
Name, Rank, Serial Killer. 48 Hours, CBS. Broadcast 8/2/11. Gives examples of police
interrogations of suspected criminals. Very well done. Available through CBS News
Archives. 212 975-6441. Email: FOOTAGE@CBSNEWS.COM. You will need to give
them some time to make a copy for you. It has not been released through Amazon or
other sources.
Secrets of Body Language. Available from the History Channel or Amazon. Entertaining
examples of Presidents through Obama. A little long, but we use about 40 minutes and
then turn to class discussion.
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WEBSITE
FACS. Facial Action Coding System. Paul Ekman. This is the program that he adapted
for the Homeland Security airport screeners and others. Only available online. Samples
are free. We use the entire program when we work with facial expressions and seven
emotions Ekman studied. Let the groups vote for the emotion displayed in each
photograph. They will enjoy competing with the other groups. Website:
http://face.paulekman.com/default.aspx
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