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CHAPTER 4:
Understanding Nonverbal Messages
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, students will be able to:
1. Provide four reasons for studying nonverbal communication.
3. Discuss six elements that reveal the nature of nonverbal communication.
4. Identify and explain the seven nonverbal communication codes.
5. Explain Mehrabian’s three-part framework for interpreting nonverbal cues.
TEACHING OUTLINE
I. Why Focus on Nonverbal Communication?
A. Nonverbal Messages Communicate Feelings and Attitudes
B. Nonverbal Messages Are More Believable Than Verbal Ones
C. Nonverbal Messages Are Critical to Successful Relationships
D. Nonverbal Messages Serve Multiple Functions
II. The Nature of Nonverbal Communication
A. The Culture-Bound Nature of Nonverbal Communication
B. The Rule-Governed Nature of Nonverbal Communication
C. The Ambiguous Nature of Nonverbal Communication
D. The Continuous Nature of Nonverbal Communication
E. The Nonlinguistic Nature of Nonverbal Communication
F. The Multichanneled Nature of Nonverbal Communication
III. Codes of Nonverbal Communication
A. Appearance
B. Body Movement, Gestures, and Posture
C. Eye Contact
D. Facial Expressions
E. Touch
F. The Voice
G. Physical Environment, Space, and Territory
IV. How to Interpret Nonverbal Cues More Accurately
A. Immediacy
B. Arousal
C. Dominance
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CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTION SETS
How important is nonverbal communication to understanding the meaning
• What specific behaviors do you focus on? Voice? Eye contact? Touch?
When the nonverbal message contradicts the verbal message, which do we
believe?
• Why?
How do we use nonverbal communication in developing and managing our
relationships?
• When you first meet someone, how long does it take to “size him or her
up”?
• What cues are you looking for?
• What are things that immediately say, “Hit the highway, no way even in
your dreams”?
• Have you ever known someone so well that they didn’t have to say
How do we use nonverbal factors to punctuate verbal messages?
• Can you articulate a message without using words? How? (Substitution.)
• How do you distinguish the ideas of nonverbal actions complementing,
repeating, and accenting a message?
• What’s the difference?
Can nonverbal communication be easily interpreted?
How do cultures shape nonverbal behavior?
• How would you tell me I’ve done a great job? (Look for a thumbs-up and
reveal that this is the same as giving someone the “bird,” in other
cultures.)
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• What other signs can you think of that may mean something else in other
cultures?
• Sustained eye contact, the “ok” sign, the “come here” sign done with the
full hand is good-bye in other cultures). Create a list.
• How does this relate to the idea of multicultural communication?
Do we always understand why a person reveals certain nonverbal signs?
• Beyond culture, what kinds of things influence our choice of nonverbals?
(Physical condition—tired, headache; emotional state—stress, depression;
preoccupation.)
• Have you ever had a conversation with someone who seemed to be
Can we turn off our nonverbals?
• Are we always aware of how our nonverbal actions are being interpreted
by others?
• What makes you say this?
• Do we turn nonverbals off when we sleep?
• Is this communication? Two schools of thought may be raised here. One
argues that “We cannot not communicate,” a view that this author
disagrees with. Nevertheless, it is a pervasive view in the field of
communication and instructors who wish to raise the issue may do so
here. The second view argues that there is a distinction between
mosquito during a lecture may be simply reacting to their environment
rather than communicating a direct message to the audience. It’s an
interesting argument and can generate strong interaction in most classes.
Can we assign specific meanings to nonverbal actions?
• Cross your arms and ask, “What does this mean?” (Could be cold,
tell us about it? What were the consequences?
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• Can you tell when someone is lying by looking at their nonverbal
• In other words, instead of deception, could a person just be very nervous?
What channels do we use with nonverbal communication?
• Is it fair to suggest that a speaker uses all channels of nonverbal
communication?
• The book doesn’t address this dimension specifically, but in our culture,
that stimulate the “feel good” hormones it is communication. What is the
intent of the giver?
• So, then, do we use all of our senses with nonverbal communication?
• How many senses can we focus on at any given time? Can this create
confusion in the way we interpret a message?
What nonverbal elements communicate meaning?
Is appearance important in American culture?
• How important is appearance? Why?
• How do we know when someone is “beautiful?”
• What assumptions do we make about “beautiful” people? This may
perhaps lead back to a discussion about the halo effect and other
perceptual biases.
• Are these assumptions accurate?
• Since appearance is so important, what possible consequences do we set
ourselves up for?
• Is touch good or bad to use?
• How important is the voice in understanding a person’s message?
• Are you territorial?
• How close is too close?
• How do you “save” space (e.g., in the cafeteria, on the bus, on a park
bench, etc.) How do we know when it’s okay to invade someone’s space?
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What can we learn by observing others’ nonverbal actions and being aware
of our own?
What do your authors mean by immediacy cues?
What does Mehrabian mean by arousal cues?
• Does arousal mean only sexual arousal?
• Can we misdiagnose someone’s cues?
• How do you distinguish arousal cues from immediacy?
• If the person we are speaking with signals high dominance cues, how
should we respond?
Ethics
This section goes beyond the chapter, but the questions are in keeping with the
spirit of the authors’ intent. The questions do not have clear-cut answers and
should stimulate strong responses.
• The authors contend in earlier chapters that it is unethical to present a lie
of omission or commission. If we control and manipulate our nonverbal
actions, are we lying?
• The authors suggest that by studying nonverbal communication we can
gain insight of others. Is it unethical to use this information for personal
gain? In other words, would it be unethical to survey a group of people at
a party, and look for immediacy or arousal cues simply for one’s own
personal gratification?
• What is the difference between nonverbal action and nonverbal
communication? In other words, do we choose to communicate or is
JOURNAL QUESTIONS
The focus of these questions is to help students gain an awareness of their
nonverbal behavior. Students should be cautioned that all of their writing will be
held in the strictest confidence.
1. Rent a movie you have never seen before. It would be best if you chose a
non-action film that focuses on relationship. Fast forward the tape to a middle
section and watch a scene with the sound muted. As you watch the scene,
try to evaluate what is happening. Write a journal entry to describe the scene
and present your interpretation of what happened in the scene itself. Watch
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the film in full and write a follow-up journal entry. Were your perceptions
accurate or inaccurate? What nonverbal elements influenced your
understanding of the scene? What conclusions can you draw about your
ability to interpret others’ nonverbal messages?
2. Watch a conversation between two people. It is best if the encounter is at
least five minutes in duration, but it should not last more than 10 minutes. Use
the “Nonverbal Checklist Form” to analyze how the participants employed
prevalent? What was least prevalent? What conclusions could you draw?
3. Think of a time when your nonverbal communication was misinterpreted by
someone or when you misinterpreted someone else. Describe the situation
and what happened. Why were the nonverbals misunderstood? What was
the outcome? What does this experience reveal about the nature of
nonverbal communication?
4. Because the 4th learning objective is so complex, it is impossible to identify
one question for all areas. Consequently, this section has been divided.
Instructors may choose one or all of the following:
A. What is your nonverbal criterion? All of us carry nonverbal criteria that
help us determine who we would like to meet and who we would typically
avoid. One way to discover what makes up your criteria is to track
strangers to whom you say, “Hello.” Find a place in a heavily traveled part
of your campus. Make note of 25 strangers you greet. After each
encounter, complete the information in Part B below.
C. Monitor a conversation you have with a friend. What emblems,
illustrators, affect displays, regulators, or adaptors do you use? At a point
in the conversation, neutralize your hands by sitting on them, crossing
your arms, or holding them behind your back. How does the absence of
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movement affect your communicative pattern? Do you feel uncomfortable
when you cannot speak with your hands?
D. In a conversation during which you would normally give direct eye contact
to a friend, stop giving it. Avert your eyes to the floor or other area. Note
what happens in the conversation. Does the absence of nonverbal
communication increase your use of vocal nonfluencies such as “um,”
“uh,” or “you know”? Did it make you feel uncomfortable or create a sense
of insecurity? How did it influence your partner? Did they feel something
was wrong? Write a journal entry to discuss your feelings on the
importance of eye contact.
E. Exploring touch can be a dangerous activity as other people can
completely misunderstand our intentions. As a consequence, instead of
manipulating your touch behavior, simply become aware of it. Monitor five
telephone. For the first minute of the conversation work to keep an atonal
quality. Avoid varying your style or exploring extremes of emotion. How
did this influence the conversation? Did your friend ask if anything was
wrong? What does this reveal about the role of paralanguage in
conversation?
were to see your space, what impressions might they gain of you?
5. Have a conversation with two people you know well; one you like, and the
other you dislike. Evaluate the nonverbal behavior you observe on the basis
of proximity, posture, body orientation, eye contact, facial expressions,
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ACTIVITIES
Activity 4.1: The Nonverbal Trap
Ask students to turn to a clean sheet of paper and number it from one to ten.
Read the following scenarios to students and ask them to write their
interpretation or each action. Following this, review the situations and ask
students to respond and look for consensus. Once all the scenarios have been
presented, cross your arms and ask, “What does this mean?” Students will
probably respond with “aggressive, closed, defensive,” etc. Lead into a
discussion of hasty generalizations of nonverbal signs. Go back through each of
the scenarios and ask for alternative interpretations.
Activity 4.2: Interpreting Nonverbal Signs
This activity will take 10 to 20 minutes. It should occur before students are fully
aware of Mehrabian’s system of interpretation.
Ask students to pair with another student in class that they do not know well.
Where possible, ask students to group in mixed-gender dyads, male/female.
They may not use pencil or paper and they are required to stand as if they were
at a party. If you would like to set an atmosphere, you can bring in a radio or CD.
Tell them the goal of the activity is for them to learn as much as they can about
each other, and then offer no other clues. Give the students 5 to 7 minutes to
talk. Once this is done, have them return to their chairs and give them the
“Conversation Questionnaire Form.”
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Once students have completed the form, lead a discussion with regard to
immediacy, arousal and dominance. Note: It is important to distinguish arousal
from just sexual arousal.
Activity 4.3: Same Gesture, Different Meaning
Bring in pictures of various people displaying popular American nonverbal
signals. Sample gestures may include:
Facilitate a discussion on the meanings many Americans attribute to these
gestures. Encourage students to research and share what these gestures might
mean in other cultures. For more information about possible meanings of these
gestures in non-American contexts visit:
http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/body_language.php.
For a bit a humor, ask students to share gestures that might be considered
offensive in other cultures but have inoffensive meanings in America.
Activity 4.4: Going Against the Grain
Find an elevator you can use for this activity. Only enter an elevator that already
has people in it. As you enter, do NOT turn and face the front, as most people
do. Instead, continue to face the back of the elevator. Take mental note of the
reactions of the other people in the elevator. When you exit, write down as many
of the reactions as you can recall that the other riders had while you faced the
“nontraditionally” direction. What do you make of these reactions?
ASSIGNMENTS
As in previous chapters, many of the journal questions can be expanded to
specific assignments.
Assignment 4.1: Nonverbal Violation Assignment
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After completing this assignment, students will be able to:
1. Understand why the study of nonverbal communication is important.
2. Identify various ways nonverbal communication works with verbal
communication.
Many communication scholars argue that nonverbal behavior employed by
various cultures is rule-governed. Unfortunately, we don’t know what the rules
are until we violate them. For this assignment, choose one of the dimensions
addressed in the book: appearance, kinesics, eye contact, haptics,
paralanguage, or proxemics and design a nonverbal violation. Note: This is not a
license to commit an illegal and/or harassing/abusive act. All students WILL be
held accountable to the university’s code of student conduct. Try to avoid
obvious violations, such as sustained eye contact or intrusion of space in an
elevator. Once you have developed the idea, implement it and observe the
reaction you receive. In an analysis paper ranging between two and three typed,
double spaced pages, address the following:
1. What violation did you employ? Describe the situation in full. What did you
do, when, where, and how? What reaction (positive and/or negative) did you
receive? Why do you think you received this particular reaction?
2. In a second paragraph, analyze the rule you violated. Do you believe this to
be a significant rule? Why? What does the rule say about our culture?
3. In a final paragraph, address how this rule is complemented by other societal
norms.
Assignment 4.2: Interpreting Nonverbal Signs
This assignment is a continuation of Activity 15. Ask students to conduct the
exercise from Activity 15 with an acquaintance (someone they know, but with
whom they have not developed a relationship). Following this, have students
write a paper describing the interaction and what they may have learned with
regard to immediacy, arousal, and dominance cues in this relationship.
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Nonverbal Checklist Form
Person 1
Person 2
Substitute
Complement
Contradict
Repeat
Regulate
Accent
Nonverbal Checklist Form
Person 1
Person 2
Substitute
Complement
Contradict
Repeat
Regulate
Accent
Nonverbal Checklist Form
Person 1
Person 2
Substitute
Complement
Contradict
Repeat
Regulate
Accent
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Nonverbal Characteristics Form
Gender:
Male
__________
__________
__________
Race:
Caucasian
African
American
Asian
Middle
Eastern
Hair
Color:
Blonde
Red
Black
__________
Eye
Color:
Blue
Brown
Other
__________
Height:
Tall
Short
__________
__________
Build:
Skinny
Average
Overweight
__________
Age:
About
your age
Younger
than you
__________
__________
Dress:
Casual
__________
__________
__________
Nonverbal Characteristics Form
Gender:
Male
__________
__________
__________
Race:
Caucasian
African
American
Asian
Middle
Eastern
Hair
Color:
Blonde
Red
Black
__________
Eye
Color:
Blue
Brown
Other
__________
Height:
Tall
Short
__________
__________
Build:
Skinny
Average
Overweight
__________
Age:
About
your age
Younger
than you
__________
__________
Dress:
Casual
__________
__________
__________
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Conversation Questionnaire Form
Evaluate your partner on the following items. If you did not observe an element,
simply mark the item as not noticed (NN).
Circle the answers that best reflect the conversation patterns that you observed.
My partner stood very close normal distance distant NN
——-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-–———-—-—
My partner turned to face me somewhat closed closed NN
——-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—
Eye contact was sustained limited indirect NN
——-—-—-——-—-—-———-———–—-—-—-———-—-——-—-—-—-———-—-—
Facial expressions were animated normal neutral NN
——-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—
Gestures were animated normal controlled NN
——-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—
Touch was used a lot used infrequently not used NN
——-—-—-——-—-—-————–—-——-—-—-———-—-—-—–———-———-—-—
My partner’s eyes were dilated normal NN
——-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-—————-
My partner seemed nervous normal bored NN
——-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—-——-—-—-———-—-—
My partner seemed dominant passive either NN
——-—-—-——-—-——-—–———-—–—-————–———-—–—-————–———
—————————————-———————————-——————————-