CHAPTER 6
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Objectives
After studying the material in Chapter Six of Looking Out/Looking In, you should understand:
2. The importance of nonverbal communication.
4. The seven categories of nonverbal communication described in this chapter.
1. Explain the defining characteristics of nonverbal communication.
3. In a given situation, recognize your own nonverbal behavior and its relational significance.
5. Share appropriately your interpretation of another’s nonverbal behavior with that person.
Notes on Class and Student Activities
A. Greetings and Goodbyes
Instructions
1. Assign students to visit airports, bus terminals, or anywhere that they are likely to be able to
2. Have them write down every nonverbal behavior they see (students usually record touching
3. Then, they should speculate on the meanings of the behaviors and on the relationship between the
people.
5. Make a list on the board of nonverbal behavior categories (e.g., proxemics, touch, eye behavior,
facial expressions, gestures). Ask students to cite unique examples of observed nonverbal
1. What categories of nonverbal communication were most prevalent in the observed greetings and
goodbyes?
2. Did you see any evidence of gender or cultural influences?
5. If you tested a hypothesis, what were your results, and how do your results compare to the
research stated in the text?
1. To increase the students’ skills of observing nonverbal behavior.
3. To give students practice separating the observation of behavior from their interpretation of it.
1. How easy or difficult was the observation portion? Explain.
2. How easy or difficult was the interpretation portion? Explain.
3. How easy or difficult was it to keep the observation of behavior and the interpretation of it
C. Nonverbal Travels
Objective
To describe cultural variations in nonverbal behaviors students have encountered.
1. In order to make use of student experiences and backgrounds conduct a discussion on nonverbal
differences across cultures (and co-cultures).
2. Put columns on the board of the different types of nonverbal communication (e.g., proxemics,
3. Compare and contrast these experiences to the descriptions in the text, and conduct a discussion
1. Which categories have the most variations?
3. How does understanding cultural difference relate to tolerance?
4. Why is it important to recognize that differences exist in nonverbal rules of different cultures?
D. The Rules of Touch (Pause and Reflect, text, p. 207)
Objective
To help students develop an awareness of how appropriate touch is governed by cultural and social
rules.
Discussion Questions
1. How and why do the rules change due to gender?
2. What do you know about the rules and norms of touch in other cultures?
Objective
To let students experience the differences distance can make when relating to other people.
Discussion Questions
1. How did personal space needs differ in this exercise?
Instructions
1. Choose three volunteers who are willing to come to the front of the room and give directions to
separate locations across town.
3. While the volunteers are outside of the classroom, tell students how to behave nonverbally as
each volunteer gives directions. For the first volunteer, students should communicate that they
4. Bring in each volunteer one at a time to give directions at the front of the room and then sit down.
Indicate to them when they finish that you’ll debrief them in a minute.
5. After all three volunteers have sat down thank them for participating, and give special thanks to
6. Ask each volunteer what they noticed about their classmates while they were giving directions.
Ask each volunteer how they felt. Ask what messages were being communicated to them through
1. What are some other ways in which we convey relational messages through our nonverbals?
2. Have you ever been or would you ever want to be in a situation similar to the first volunteer’s
experience? How about the third? Explain.
4. Which directions do you most remember? Often, it’s the last one.
1. What are some of the nonverbal characteristics that employers expect during a job interview?
2. How do you express emotions authentically to a person you do not yet know?
H. Nonverbal Scavenger Hunt
Objectives
To help students better understand the chapter terms and the characteristic “Nonverbal
Instructions
1. Prepare a list of assumptions based on nonverbal behaviors that students will hunt for (e.g., things
2. Send students out onto campus in groups to hunt for examples of people who fit these
assumptions.
Discussion Questions
1. How easy or difficult was the observation? Explain.
2. How easy or difficult was it to decide on the actual behaviors that led you to these assumptions?
6. How does this relate to cognitive complexity?
7. What interpersonal goals can be met with an improved ability to separate your observation of
nonverbal behaviors from the meaning you give to them?
I. Guide to Nonverbal Effectiveness
Objective
To help students directly relate Chapter Six information to their own interpersonal goals.
Instructions
Objectives
To compare and contrast nonverbal expressiveness and effectiveness in different forms of mediated
interpersonal communication.
Instructions
1. Ask students to make a list of all the different ways we communicate through technology (phone,
Discussion Questions
1. Which mediated channels allow for a richer expression of nonverbal subtleties? Explain.
2. Which mediated channels are more effective for interpersonal communication? Explain.
1. Find a comprehensive list of emoticons, and project it on a screen to the entire class.
2. Ask students to discuss ways in which emoticons can serve different functions (e.g., repeating,
1. Which emoticons work best for which functions? Explain.