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Chapter 5: The World Beyond Words
Key Concepts
artifacts
chronemics
haptics
immediacy
kinesics
nonverbal communication
paralanguage
proxemics
Chapter Outline
I.
Nonverbal communication consists of all elements of communication other than words, and scholars
believe it accounts for 65–95% of total meaning.
A.
Nonverbal communication contains many elements.
1.
Gestures
2.
Body language
3.
How words are spoken
• Inflection
• Pauses
• Tone
• Volume
• Accent
B.
There are four similarities between the two types of communication.
1.
Nonverbal messages are symbolic, arbitrary, ambiguous, and abstract.
2.
Nonverbal communication is rule-guided. Within particular societies
members share rules that help them understand what types of nonverbal
communication are appropriate as well as what different nonverbal
messages mean.
3.
Nonverbal communication may be intentional or unintentional.
4.
The culture in which we grew up teaches how, when, and where we use
nonverbal codes.
C.
There are three differences between verbal and nonverbal communication.
1.
Generally, people rely more on nonverbal communication than on verbal
communication, particularly if the two messages contradict each other.
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2.
Nonverbal communication is not limited to a single channel.
3.
Nonverbal communication does not have distinct starting and ending
points.
II.
Four principles guide our understanding of nonverbal communication.
A.
Nonverbal communication may supplement or replace verbal communication.
Nonverbal and verbal communication work together by having the nonverbal
message repeat, emphasize, complement, contradict, or substitute for the verbal
message.
B.
Nonverbal cues help regulate the flow of interaction between people.
C.
Nonverbal messages also tend to emphasize the relational level of meaning in an
interaction. Immediacy is behavior that increases perceptions of closeness
between communicators.
1.
Responsiveness
2.
Liking
3.
Power
D.
Nonverbal communication reflects and expresses culture, which means that we
learn nonverbal communication over time.
III.
There are nine basic types of nonverbal communication.
A.
Kinesics refers to all of our body positions, body movements, and facial
expressions.
B.
Haptics is the technical term we use to refer to our touching behaviors.
C.
Physical appearance messages are frequently the first way we form perceptions of
others when we meet them.
D.
Artifacts are personal objects that we use to indicate to others important
information about our self.
E.
Environmental factors are aspects of the context in which we communicate that
influence how we act and feel.
F.
Proxemics is the technical term for space and how we use it.
G.
How we use and value time is the study of chronemics.
H.
Messages that we indicate with our voice, beyond the words we use, are called
paralanguage.
I.
Silence is the final type of nonverbal message.
IV.
Social media are very restrictive when it comes to nonverbal communication.
A.
Words in an email or text message don’t tell us whether the person who wrote them is
serious, sarcastic, or playful.
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B.
Emoticons and stickers were invented to signal others how to interpret our words and to
understand how we should interpret their words.
V.
Two guidelines help us use and interpret nonverbal communication more effectively.
A.
We need to use monitoring skills.
B.
Interpret others’ nonverbal communication tentatively.
1.
Personal qualifications
2.
Contextual qualifications
Discussion Ideas
• Nonverbal Deception: Ask students to generate a list of ways they know someone is
deceiving or lying to them. If they are having trouble generating a list for others, ask them
to think about what they do when they are trying to tell that “little white lie.” This is a
quick way to illustrate whether their experiences agree with the text’s discussion of
believing the nonverbal message over the verbal one.
• Differences between Verbal and Nonverbal Communication: If you have access to
audiovisual equipment, choose a film or television clip where the nonverbal cues are
meaningful. Allow students to listen to the verbal message and write down their perceptions
of the person and situation. Now allow students to hear the verbal message and see the
nonverbal messages for the clip. Ask them what has changed about their perceptions and
why. (Note: This works even better if you can allow half of the class to see and hear the
message while the other half of the class can only hear the message.)
• Nonverbal Meanings: Ask students in dyads to leave the classroom for about 10 minutes
and do something that is nonverbally different to a stranger. One person should be the
“observer,” and he or she should write down what happens; the other person should be the
“actor,” and he or she should perform the interesting nonverbal behavior. For instance,
standing very close to someone in an elevator, talking to a person without looking at him or
her, females doing things that males would typically do, such as taking up a lot of space or
interrupting other speakers. Then, ask the students to come back to class and describe what
they did. Oftentimes, students will have some surprising results. This activity often sparks a
great discussion of nonverbal behaviors that we typically perceive as normal and abnormal.
• Artifacts and Environmental Cues: Prior to class, ask students to write out a detailed
description of “their room” (residence hall, at home, or apartment/house) so that a stranger
could draw a mental picture from their description. During class time, you can have students
exchange descriptions and try to create a picture of the other person’s room; or, you can
make a list of the nonverbal indicators (usually artifacts) and have a discussion about what
they say about who we are (our self). Oftentimes, the artifacts we surround ourselves with
are central to our identities.
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• Environmental Cues: Ask students to describe the setting for their favorite class (make sure
they list examples for as many nonverbal message types as possible). Now ask them to make
a similar list for their least favorite class. Compare and contrast what language they use to
describe the two experiences as well as what factors are most prominent in the two types of
situations. You can also tie this discussion to how our symbolic descriptions of situations
and nonverbal elements are evaluative and not simply neutral.
• Nonverbal and Verbal Listening Cues: Ask students to list a person who they believe is a
good listener (this works well as a previewing or reviewing exercise for listening). Based on
your recollections and/or observations, answer the following questions.
• What proxemic behaviors contribute to the impression that this person is listening fully? Describe how
he or she uses space.
• What kinesic behaviors does this person use? Describe his or her body posture, facial expressions, and
movements when he or she is listening.
• Does the person use minimal encouragers? If so, identify several that he or she uses.
• Does the person paraphrase the communication of people to whom he or she listens?
• How does the person demonstrate support verbally? Be specific in describing phrases and language.
• How does the person demonstrate support with nonverbal communication? Be specific in describing
behaviors.
• What verbal and/or nonverbal behaviors indicate the person is engaging in dual perspective?
• Does the person ask questions of the speaker? If so, identify typical questions.
• Does the person make judgmental comments?
• Does the person interrupt other than to express minimal encouragers?
Activities
Title
Individual
Partner/
Ethno
Group
Demonstration/
Whole Class
Internet/
InfoTrac
1. Nonverbal perceptions
X
2. Communicating without words
X
3. Meanings between words
X–H
4. Inclusive/Exclusive nonverbal
messages
X–P
5. Dress in the workplace
X–P
6. Does space make a difference?
X
X = Marks type of activity H = Handout P = Preparation required for students/teacher
Nonverbal Perceptions
This exercise illustrates how nonverbal behaviors affect our perceptions of others.
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Begin class by talking about the various types of nonverbal communication.
Ask for two volunteers. (It works well if you have one female volunteer and one male volunteer.)
Take a sheet of paper. Ask the students to split their paper in half. One side will refer to one
student and the other side will refer to the other student.
Ask the students to write down their nonverbal perceptions about the two students based on the
following questions:
1.
What type of music do they listen to?
2.
What type of car do they drive?
3.
What type of movie do they like to watch?
4.
Are they the oldest, youngest, middle, or only child?
5.
What are their hobbies?
6.
What are their majors?
7.
What are their ages?
8.
What are their favorite colors?
9.
What is their relationship status: single, married, dating, engaged?
10.
What will they do after they graduate?
Ask the class for their nonverbal perceptions, and then ask the two volunteers to reveal their
answers. Ask the students what specifically influenced their perceptions. Discuss how people can
communicate nonverbally and how influential their nonverbals are on other people’s perceptions.
Communicating without Words
This exercise clarifies the importance of nonverbal communication in expressing three
dimensions of relational meaning: liking, power, and responsiveness.
Open the class by summarizing the textbook’s discussion of nonverbal communication: It is a
major part of communication. It is especially powerful in expressing relational meanings (liking,
responsiveness, and power).
Ask for two volunteers to demonstrate how we use nonverbal communication to express liking or
disliking of others. Tell one volunteer to approach the other and express hostility without using
any words. Ask the class to identify specific nonverbal cues that expressed hostility (eye
behavior, stance, facial expression, use of space, gestures). Ask the first volunteer to again
approach the second person, but this time to express pleasure at seeing a person he or she loves,
again without using words. Again, engage the class in the process of identifying specific
nonverbal behaviors that communicated affection and pleasure.
Ask for two more volunteers to demonstrate how nonverbal communication expresses power.
Instruct one to be the boss (or parent or teacher—some authority figure) and the other to be the
employee (or child or student). Without using words, the person in the superior position
should communicate his or her power over the second person and the second person should
nonverbally express his or her subordinate status. Engage the class in discussing how power is
communicated through nonverbal behaviors.
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Ask for two more volunteers to demonstrate the responsiveness dimension of relational-level
meanings that can be communicated nonverbally. Instruct one student to talk about an issue,
problem, or exciting event in his or her life. The second student is to rely exclusively on
nonverbal behavior (no words of response) to express interest and involvement with the speaker.
Then ask the students to repeat the interaction, but this time the second student should be
unresponsive by expressing boredom and lack of interest in what the speaker is saying. Engage
the class in identifying nonverbal behaviors that signal responsiveness.
Meanings between Words
This exercise demonstrates the importance of vocal cues in creating the overall meanings of
communication.
Ask for two volunteers. Give them a copy of the page titled Uncertain Dialogue. Tell them they
are to read the dialogue, and the class will try to determine what the context of the dialogue is
and what relationship exists between the two communicators. On a sheet of paper that other class
members cannot see, inform the volunteers that they are two people planning a robbery. After
they have read the dialogue, ask the class to guess what the situation and relationship is and to
identify nonverbal cues that inform their guesses.
Ask for two more volunteers to read the same dialogue. This time pass them a sheet of paper that
tells them to read the dialogue as occurring in a bar and involving a woman flirting with a man
she knows casually. The woman is very interested in a sexual relationship with the man. After
discussion, have two more volunteers read the dialogue as a couple that has separated and is
considering divorce and met unexpectedly at a shopping mall.
Conclude the exercise by summarizing the importance of vocal qualities in creating the meaning
of communication.
Inclusive/Exclusive Nonverbal Messages
This activity must be assigned in advance. It increases students’ awareness of how nonverbal
communication represents inclusion and exclusion to different groups.
A week before you plan to discuss the importance of nonverbal communication in including and
excluding people, tell students they have an observation assignment. Instruct students to visit
campus buildings and hangouts and to notice nonverbal elements such as where buildings are
located, and the graffiti, books, artwork, and so forth in buildings. Tell them also to observe
whether ramps and elevators exist for people with physical disabilities and whether doors have
Braille nameplates so people with visual impairments can locate offices and restrooms. Based on
their observations, students should draw conclusions about the extent to which their campus in
general and individual buildings and areas in particular invite and include diverse people.
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When students have completed the assignment, lead a class discussion in which you highlight the
power of nonverbal communication to acknowledge or erase, invite or discourage, and welcome
or reject certain groups. Ask students whether people of diverse, non-Caucasian cultures would
feel visible and respected in buildings adorned with massive portraits of Caucasians, whether
women would feel included when all of the portraits of “important people” are of males, and
whether artwork in campus buildings celebrates cultural diversity. Also, direct students’ attention
to where buildings are located: Are minority and women’s centers, formal or informal, located in
the center or on the periphery of campus? Are minority persons and women visible in main
offices of buildings?
To conclude the discussion, ask students to suggest ways their campus could be more inclusive
and acknowledging of diverse social groups.
Dress in the Workplace
The purpose of this activity is to discuss the effectiveness and ethics of employing tips about
workplace dress, as well as discussing rules for workplace dress.
Using your favorite search engine, find websites that discuss the relationship between how one
dresses and the image they project in the workplace. Here are a few to get you started:
• http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2002/08/12/daily9.html
• http://www.businessinsider.com/how-your-clothing-impacts-your-
success-2014-8
In class, make a list of “tips” taken from the websites, such as the
following:
• Wear dark clothes, such as black or navy, because they communicate a sense of authority.
• To look taller, wear darker colors on the lower part of your body and lighter colors on the
top.
• Men who wear brown suits tend to elicit distrust, while this is not true for women.
Lead a discussion about student perceptions of the effectiveness and ethics of employing such
tips, as well as their experience with dress codes in the workplace.
For further information, read the following:
John T. Molloy’s New Dress for Success by John T. Molloy. Warner Books.
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New Women’s Dress for Success by John T. Molloy. Warner Books.
Does Space Make a Difference?
Ask students to pick a partner. Ask students to talk to their partner at a normal distance about
what they did this weekend. Give them 5 minutes to discuss. Then, ask the students to move
closer to their partner. Ask one-third of the class to stare at their partner while talking. Ask the
other third to avoid eye contact with their partner. Ask the last third of the class to talk normally
with normal eye contact use. Ask the students to discuss what they are planning to do this
weekend. After 5 minutes, have students return to their seats. Ask them if space makes a
difference in their conversations? Was it uncomfortable? Why or why not? Talk about cultural
and gender differences.
Journal Items
• Violate a nonverbal gender prescription. If you are a woman, you might restrain yourself
from smiling for 24 hours, staring challengingly at others when you talk with them, or
sitting with your body spread widely. If you are a man, try smiling more—whenever you
meet people, when you talk with them, and so on. Men may also violate masculine
nonverbal prescriptions by giving strong eye contact and abundant head nods and other
displays of responsiveness when they converse with others. Analyze how you felt violating
the nonverbal prescription for your gender and what responses you got from others.
Responses will vary, but students may receive perplexed or confusing looks from others,
extended gazing or staring, laughter, genuine interest in why they are doing something
outside of the norm, and so on. Students may feel embarrassed, silly, liberation, excitement,
or fun when they violate gendered communication rules.
• Analyze the artifacts and environment of your room. What do these nonverbals communicate
about who you are? How does their presence affect your feelings of comfort, identity, and
security? What would be different if all of your personal artifacts disappeared?
Responses will vary, but look for students to address how the artifacts we surround ourselves
with are often consistent with aspects of our identities that are central and important to us.
Losing our personal artifacts, or having them stolen, can stir strong emotions or perhaps
feelings of violation.
• Visit three different professors on campus. Describe the different office environments and
how these different offices affect students’ perceptions of the professor. Describe how each
office is similar to personality characteristics of that specific professor. What can you learn
about the professor by looking at his or her office?
Responses will vary, but students will talk about how the artifacts are similar to the
personality of the professor. The office type, design, and layout will be associated with
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perceptions of the professor.
• Observe people in a public environment, such as a shopping mall or a busy restaurant.
Distinguish between two people who are friends and two people who are romantically
involved based on their nonverbal communication. What types of nonverbal communication
did you use to distinguish the two people?
Responses will vary, but students could look at how much space is between the two people
(proxemics), in what ways they touch (or do not touch) each other (haptics), their tone of
voice with each other (paralanguage), and so on.
• Consider the clothing you wear in different situations, such as in class, at work, attending a
religious or spiritual ceremony, and so on. How does this affect the image that you present to
others? How does wearing different clothing affect how you feel about yourself? Are there any
implicit or explicit rules that regulate what types of clothes you wear?
Responses will vary, but look for students to distinguish among different contexts, identify
clothing as artifacts that are used to construct a particular type of identity in social situations,
and reflect on how dress is regulated (implicit rules could include those inferred based on
how people respond, favorably or unfavorably, to what we wear, perhaps through nonverbal
features, but without saying so explicitly; explicit rules could include dress codes at work, or
uniforms in school).
• Consider three different friends that you have and discuss their physical appearances. Does
their physical appearance affect their personality? Are there certain things about their
physical appearance that cause others to stereotype them or prejudge them? If they went to a
different country, how would people view them?
Responses will vary, but look for students to distinguish among how thinness and ideals vary
from culture to culture.
Media Resources
Websites
Name: FAQs about Feng Shui
Developer: The American Feng Shui Institute
Brief Description: This site provides answers to frequently asked questions about the ancient
Chinese practice of Feng Shui.
URL: http://www.amfengshui.com/faq.htm
Name: Nonverbal Communication in the Workplace
Developer: The Balance Careers
Brief Description: This site explains the types of nonverbal communication and why they matter
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to an effective workplace.
URL: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/nonverbal-communication-in-the-workplace-1918470
Name: What Ties Say about Work Today
Developer: NYTimes
Brief Description: Discusses the message that a tie sends and why some CEOs are opting to go
tieless.
URL: https://op-talk.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/17/what-ties-say-about-work-today/
Name: What Should a Dress Code Policy Say?
Developer: Forbes
Brief Description: Discusses the elements of a workable dress code.
URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2017/05/06/what-should-a-dress-code-policy-
say/#55975a131cc4
Name: FaceView: Observing, Understanding, Perceiving, and Synthesizing Faces
Developer: MIT’s Media Lab
Brief Description: Offers some studies with dealing on facial movement.
URL: http://vismod.media.mit.edu/vismod/demos/faceview/
Name: Kismet
Developer: MIT’s Media Lab
Brief Description: Offers a unique look at facial expressions created using a robot.
URL: http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/humanoid-robotics-group/kismet/kismet.html
Name: Dictionary of Gestures
Developer: MIT
Brief Description: Explains expressive comportments and movements in use around the world.
URL: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/dictionary-gestures
Name: 10 Tips to Create Powerful Nonverbal Communication
Developer: Psychology Today
Brief Description: Offers tips to improve nonverbal communication
URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-fitness/201008/10-tips-create-powerful-non-
verbal-communication
Film Ideas
Children of a Lesser God is the story of teachers and students in a school for the deaf. The film
does an excellent job of demonstrating the extent to which ideas and feelings can be
communicated without using words. When discussing this movie, be sure to point out that the
actual signs that make up American Sign Language (or other sign languages) would be the
equivalent of “words” or verbal communication in spoken English, while the rate at which a
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signer produces signs, the facial expressions used, body positions, and so on are nonverbal
features.
Tootsie, the film discussed as a resource for Chapter 4, is also an excellent supplement for
teaching about nonverbal communication. Dustin Hoffman skillfully switches his nonverbal
behaviors to fit his female and male personas in the film.
Mrs. Doubtfire, starring Robin Williams as a man who disguises himself as a woman, is also
effective in highlighting gendered nonverbal styles. What do films like Tootsie and Mrs.
Doubtfire suggest about how gender is “performed” rather than a “pre-formed” aspect of our
identities?
Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks, is about a Federal Express employee/trainer who becomes
stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. Show the clip early on in the movie where
Tom Hanks’ character is training the Russians about the importance of time and delivering
packages to their destination according to a regular schedule. Contrast this notion of time
with when he is deserted on the island. How is time measured differently in each of the two
cases?
Just Go with It, starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, is about a man who convinces
his assistant to pretend to be his soon-to-be divorced wife in order to deal with a lie that he
told to his girlfriend. This movie is great for deception and how physical appearance impacts
perceptions.
Runaway Jury shows how jurors are selected and how a verdict can be swayed by both
verbal and nonverbal cues from a strong leader in the group.
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Print Resources
As already mentioned in the “Dress in the Workplace” activity, there are a number of popular
press books concerning the strategic use of nonverbal communication. Some books students
could analyze as part of their popular press book paper include the following:
New Women’s Dress for Success by John T. Molloy. Warner Books.
John T. Molloy’s New Dress for Success by John T. Molloy
Casual Power: How to Power Up Your Nonverbal Communication & Dress Down for Success
by Sherry Maysonave
Body Language Secrets: A Guide During Courtship & Dating by R. Don Steele
Body Language by Susan Qulliam
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Body Language by Peter Anderson
You Don’t Say: Navigating Nonverbal Communication between the Sexes by Audrey
Nelson and Susan K. Golant
Body Language by Julius Fast
How to Read a Person Like a Book by Gerard I. Nierenberg and Henry H. Calero
Emotions Revealed: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to
Improve Communication and Emotional Life by Paul
Ekman.
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Script: Uncertain Dialogue
A:
Hello.
B:
Hello.
A:
So, ah, how are you?
B:
About the same. You?
A:
Nothing new to report.
B:
I thought maybe you might have something to tell me.
A:
Has anything changed?
B:
Not that I know of. Do you know of a change?
A:
No.
B:
So what do you think we should do now?
A:
I suppose we could go ahead and…
B:
Yeah, seems like it’s a good plan.
A:
Are you sure?
B:
As sure as we ever can be in situations like this.
A:
Want to reconsider? A lot is at stake.
B:
No, I’m ready. Let’s do it.