Chapter 6: Nonverbal Communication

I. Nonverbal communication refers to elements of communication that do not use

words but still transmit a message. Nonverbal communication is essential in ever
interaction.
II. Principles of nonverbal communication:
A. Conveys emotional and relationship information
i. Helps people understand the emotional aspect of a message.
ii. Nonverbal expression carries emotional weight.
iii. Example: A nonverbal cue like a smile, helps us understand that a person
is happy when they say, “I am doing well.”
B. Maintains a relationship with verbal messages
i. Verbal messages help us interpret nonverbal messages and vice versa.
The two have a symbiotic relationship.
ii. We need both verbal and nonverbal communication to accurately convey
our message.
iii. But sometimes verbal and nonverbal communication can contradict each
other. We must strive to maintain consistency in our messages.
C. Relies on context for its meaning
i. What goes on around the nonverbal message (the situation, events that
influence the sender, what we know about the sender, and what is said
while the nonverbal message is being sent) essentially feeds the meaning
we assign it.
ii. Meaning of nonverbal communication is tied to culture
1. Cultures have different norms for expressing emotion.
2. There certain behaviors, however, that seem to be universally
attached to particular emotions.
III. Functions of nonverbal communication can help and sometimes hinder the
effectiveness of your message.
A. Repeating: physical actions that follow what is said, reinforce the message
(Example: Saying hello and then immediately extending your hand for a
handshake).
B. Accenting: nonverbal behaviors that help highlight or intensify parts of the
message and are performed while the message is being delivered (Example:
pounding fist on the podium while making an important point).
C. Complementing: nonverbal behaviors that occur at the same time that the
message is being delivered and communicate the same content (Example:
laughing while telling a joke).
D. Substituting: physical actions that take the place of verbal messages (Example:
shrugging your shoulders to indicate that you don’t know something).
E. Regulating: the actions that govern the course of interactions with others
(Example: raising your hand to speak).
 F. Conflicting: when a verbal message says one thing while corresponding
nonverbal behaviors indicate something different (Example: saying “turn right”
while pointing left)
IV. Types of nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication is about more than
facial expressions and hand gestures.
A. Kinesics: The study of the human body’s motions and movements.
i. Kinesics can be any movement of the body including:
1. Gestures: physical movements used to convey a message.
2. Posture: the physical framing and orientation of the body to
another person.
a. Open posture is when you have the majority of your body
facing the audience or the other person, indicating interest
and attention.
b. Closed posture is when you shield your body from the
other person, shows lack of interest or maybe even fear.
c. Mirror: replicating the posture of the other person to
show mutual interest.
ii. Kinesics come in a variety of forms:
1. Emblems: Takes the place of a word or phrase, such as the peace
sign or thumbs-up sign.
2. Illustrators: Hand gestures that help explain what we’re talking
about, such as pointing when giving directions.
3. Affect displays: Displays of emotion through our bodies, like
jumping up and down to show excitement.
3. Regulators: Helps control the flow of conversation, such as
glancing at our watch to show that you need to leave.
4. Adaptors: Comforting gestures such as touching your hair your
face or your body or adjusting your clothes or glasses. Can lead
people to believe you are nervous or even being dishonest.
B. Oculesics: The use of eye contact to send messages. We can convey how we feel
about someone based on how we look at them. This can vary based on cultural
norms, however.
C. Proxemics: the use of space to convey information.
i. Intimate space: physical contact to 18 in; reserved for people we have
intimate relationships with.
ii. Personal: ranges from 18 in to about 4 ft.; indicates friendship
iii. Social distance: from 4 ft up to 12 ft; for people we have little
connection to; business transactions occur in this distance.
iv. Public distance: 12 ft and beyond; conveys a formal situation.
D. Haptics: the way touch communicates meaning.

i. We use touch to exert control, convey emotion, and express an affiliation

with another person, and the meaning and values placed on expressing
messages through touch are culturally driven.
E. Chronemics: The use and value of time.
i. Monochronic: preferring to do things one at a time; breaking things up
into small manageable units.
ii. Polychronic: trying to several tasks at one time; having a more fluid
approach to scheduling time.
iii. How people treat time can show you who they are what they value.
1. Being late makes it seem like a person has more important things
to do.
2. People who hold more power have greater control over the use of
their time.
F. Olfactics: nonverbal communication related to smell.
i. Smells can create certain environments for people based on their
memories associated with the smells.
ii. Meanings of smells also vary by culture. In certain cultures, people do not
cover up body odors, for example.
G. Vocalics: the things that contribute to the sound of what you are saying. It is not
what you are saying but how you are saying it.
i. Volume: how loud or soft a person’s voice is; loud volumes can
communicate excitement or anger while softer volumes can convey little
interest or that a person is shy.
ii. Tone: the emphasis we place on syllables, sounds, words, and phrases
1. Contributes the overall sense of warmth our voice.
2. Monotone can convey disinterest in a subject.
iii. Rate: how fast you deliver a message.
1. The average rate of speech is 150 words a minute.
2. Rate influenced by circumstances and culture.
iv. Vocalized pauses: there are silent and vocalized pauses.
1. Silent pauses are when there is no sound; can enhance credibility
and give audience time to digest your message.
2. Vocalized pauses are fillers such as “um”; can distract from your
message and take away from your credibility.
v. Gasps and sighs: the use of breadth to convey a message.
1. Gasps can communicate surprise or fear.
2. Sighs usually signal frustration, discomfort, or exhaustion.
H. Artifacts: actual objects used to communicate information.

i. Express your attitudes, feelings, mood, beliefs, interests, hobbies and

even ideology.

ii. What we surround ourselves with, what we wear, and even the colors
with which we choose to decorate ourselves and our environment
reveals a great deal about us without saying a word (Example: how
someone arranges the furniture in their office can communicate their
preferred working relationships).
V. Guidelines for dialogic nonverbal communication
A. Ask clarifying questions: nonverbal communication can be quite ambiguous so it
is important to ask a person what is meant by their action to gain clarity
(Example: if someone is furrowing their brow it could mean they are
concentrating or that they are confused. Clarify by asking if they are following
your message).
B. Don’t assume others understand the meaning of your nonverbal expressions. Be
mindful using nonverbal expressions with people who do not know you well.
C. Control your nonverbal reactions: practice self-restraint to avoid laughing or
grimacing at the wrong time during an interaction.
D. Use situationally appropriate nonverbal expressions (Example: when showing up
to a professor’s office for an unplanned meeting, do you walk right in and sit
down, or knock and wait to be invited in?).
E. Learn cultural differences in meaning: Do not behave in an ethnocentric manner
and expect the other party to understand your nonverbal expressions and
values, nor hold others to behaving the same way you do.