Non-Verbal Communication: Awareness in the Classroom

Author(s): Enid J. Portnoy

Source: American Music Teacher , FEBRUARY-MARCH 1982, Vol. 31, No. 4 (FEBRUARY-
MARCH 1982), pp. 14-15
Published by: Music Teachers National Association

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43538491

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 Non 'Verbal Communication:
Awareness in the Classroom
by Enid J. Portnoy

student is called on to answer a question the teacher's facial

Mrs. Portnoy, a graduate of the Northwestern University
expressions, body orientations, and eye directness present a
School of Speech , is assistant professor of non-verbal communi-
cation at West Virginia University. She has taught in the measure
field of responsiveness. Teacher enthusiasm with "warmth"
of creative arts for many years , and is the co-authorhas of also
twobeen researched as a significant predictor of teaching
workbooks in the field of communication. effectiveness (Collins, 1976; Costin, Greenough, and Menges,
1971; Keith, Tornatsky, and Pettigrew, 1974). Related research
on warmth and immediacy behaviors displayed nonverbally by
Although a asignificant
significant nonverbal
part of the part
communication process, itthe
of communication is only
communication cues have process, always it is been only instructors suggests positive influence on student's behavioral
recently (since the late 1950s) that application to in- and affective learning (Andersen, 1979; Mehrabian and Friar,
struction has become widespread. In the (January 1981) MEJ 1969; Mehrabian and Williams, 1969).
article "How Do You Behave?" James R. Hughes argues that
the teacher's nonverbal cues can provide the necessary infor-
mation to influence student motivation and performance. A Mehrabian's
Mehrabian's Teachers Teachers
third are expected are toexpected
dimension to control
has exert been exertcalled
control over
over Status the the
/Power.class-
class-
teacher carries certain perceptions about relating to others, and room environment. This control gives teachers status or
associated behaviors which reflect such feelings are communi- power over those students they instruct. Nonverbal modes of
cated verbally and nonverbally in the classroom setting. control may include space (ability to move freely, acquisition
The noted psychologist, Albert Mehrabian, has described of as much or as little needed), size (physical weight, expansive
certain social /psychological dimensions of interpersonal rela- versus restricted gestures and movement, standing power versus
tionships, which suggest a framework upon which nonverbal sitting power), and time (regulation of activities, setting limits
behavior can be analyzed.1 The first nonverbal perception/ on work /recreation tasks).
dimension Mehrabian labels "the approach or immediacy met- In a research study, subjects were asked to move toward a
aphor." A natural consequence of human interaction is that "pretend" person of like or dislike who was of either high or
people get more involved (or become more immediate) with low status. Results confirmed that subjects oriented their heads
the things or persons they like, and avoid things and persons and bodies more directly toward high-status persons than low-
they dislike. Nonverbally, the use of space and distance is an status persons. Females tended to stand more openly than
overt form of approach /immediacy. The use and duration of males, with arms and legs uncrossed when they approached an
touch, and certain body orientations also suggests posture- imaginary person of high status.4
negative attitudes concerning our desire for immediacy. In one Some students appear to need more personal space; and close
research study, students were shown photos to discover which distancing, for whatever reason, may be perceived as a spatial
body postures and orientations were related to approach or invasion to them. Although the classroom is the teacher's do-
immediacy evaluations. Both male and female photos were main, it is unwise to test the limits of territorial control. The
preferred when shown leaning forward not leaning back, and student may perceive such behavior as a negative power/status
females were liked better if their bodies were in open positions message rather than a positive approach message.
without crossed limbs.2 Every student also reflects a definite time personality. The
Other approach behaviors can be drawn from the followingway in which time is spent when communicating with others
individual or combined nonverbal modes: Oculesics, or eye be- projects messages of interest in that person. The longer the
havior - increased gazing, pupil dilation (a nonverbal messagetime spent, the greater the interest is perceived to be. This is
of interest or attraction); kinesics, or body /face movements -especially true in the office setting and in private conversations
forward body leans, open body positions, animated positive between teacher-student. A person is either time-controlled and
gestures, increased smiling, positive face /body feedback cues; scheduled, operating at a relatively fast pace and feeling time-
physical appearance - (combined with proxemic cues) whichpressured in terms of accomplishments, or is the more spon-
reinforce the desire for constant companionship, and recognition taneous, time-relaxed personality, who has a flexible schedule
of individual rather than non-person qualities; chronemics, or to suggest appropriate behaviors. The monochronic personality
time - frequency and duration of time spent with an individual;undertakes one thing at a time in an efficient manner, as con-
vocalics, or general vocal tone - attitudes of warmth and con- trasted with the polychronic personality, who juggles several
cern projected by voice quality, rate, pause time, etc. It should activities at one time. Teachers are not all of the same time
be noted that proxemic cues (space and distance) viewed as personality, nor are students; yet teachers often behave as
approach behaviors are not always accepted in a positive man-though all students were shaped from the same time mold.
ner in the classroom. To be "in close proximity" invites a Taking the time to analyze time personalities should encourage
negative perception when a teacher is monitoring a test, or teachers to become more flexible toward the nonverbal chro-
when two students or teacher-student are engaged in inter- nemic behavior of others.
personal conflicts. The use of haptics (touch) in combination Another area to examine in order to understand nonverbal
with proxemics can be most unpleasant for those students who behavior of our students is body and interaction synchrony.
are touch-avoidant or communication apprehensives.3 The human nervous system seems to adapt and reflect another's
Responsiveness or activity, Mehrabian's second dimension, in- time sequence, especially when subjected to these movements
cludes nonverbal expressions of openness and receptivity toward over fairly long periods. The classroom seems to be an ap-
others. In the classroom, feedback between teacher-student is propriate setting for interaction and body synchrony to occur.
an important method to encourage communication. When a Students subconsciously tend to mirror a teacher's actions

14 THE AMERICAN MUSIC TEACHER

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through posture, gestures, movement, or voice patterns. Foot
jiggles, head nods, and even pen clicks often suggest the
rhythmic imitation of instructor-movement patterns. The slow-
moving, slow-speaking teacher may have a difficult time getting
students to respond to a presto rhythm or activity if everything
else in the classroom has been moving lento. Wondering why a
class seems slow or fast to respond may prove unnecessary un-
less the same question is also applied to the instructor of the
class.
Teachers are often so concerned about defending their own
space /power that they give little time to an analysis of personal
nonverbal cues which students "key on" and reflect. In a study
feeling-states. Nonverbal communication is more complex than
verbal communication due to the composite nature of the cues;
in order to appraise accurately a person's behavior it is necessary
to analyze both the nonverbal and the verbal cues communi-
cated.10 In our culture, externalizers openly display their feelings,
whereas internalizers feel just as emotional but contain their
feelings. Both personality types exist in the classroom, although
the one is more easily "read" than the other. Teachers and
students have to become aware of the differences in com-
municating nonverbally, and begin to assess their own behavior
and biases, which often lead to inaccurate evaluations of one
another.

of classroom interaction to discover positive /negative nonverbal
behavior cues, negative cues chosen were frowning, moving
away, yawning, sneering, looking at ceiling, negative head
shakes, looking away, and cleaning one's nails. Positive be-
haviors included touching and close proxemic movements,
direct gazing, smiling, positive head nods, eye opening or brow
raising, and open body orientations.5
Students are notoriously adept at making interpersonal eval-
uations of teachers. This may be largely due to their long-
Are nonverbal communication cues a viable tool for the
classroom teacher? Yes, if we tune up our senses and take the
time to build a composite picture of approach /avoidance, re-
sponsiveness/activity, and power/ status cues, which can aid in
affecting improved interpersonal communication.
FOOTNOTES
1Albert Mehr abi an, "Inference of Attitude From the Posture, Orientati
and Distance of a Communicator," Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology , 1968, 32, 296-308.
2Ibid.

tenured roles as classroom observers. Numerous nonverbal "James McCroskey, "Classroom Consequences of Communication Appre-
hension," Communication Education, 26, January, 1977, pp. 27-33.
research studies have concluded that females generally, are 'Albert Mehrabian, "Inference of Attitudes From Posture, Orientation,
more observant of and sensitive to nonverbal cues than males." and Distance," Journal of Personal and Social Psychology, 10, 1968,
pp. 26-30.
Females also appear to be more accurate in judging nonverbal 5F. Clore, N. Wiggins, and S. Itkin, "Judging Attraction From Nonverbal
Behavior: The Gain Phenomenon," Journal of Consulting and Clinical
behavior and basing their own behavior on such evaluations.7 Psychology, 1975, 43, pp. 491-97.
This further suggests that females may have an advantage in 8Judith Hall, "Gender Effects in Decoding Nonverbal Cues," Psycholog-
assessing nonverbal communication cues in the classroom. ical Bulletin, 85, 1978, pp. 845-57.
7Marianne La France and Clara Mayo, "A Review of Nonverbal Behaviors
James Hughes in a recent article, "How Do You Behave?", of Women and Men," Western Journal of Speech Communication, 43,
No. 2, Spring, 1979, pp. 96-107.
wrote "Because nonverbal behaviors are learned, teachers can
8James R. Hughes, "How Do You Behave?", Music Educators Journal,
control or change the subtle nonverbal cues." 8 Unfortunately January, 1981, p. 53.
the statement is not entirely true; nonverbal behaviors are both •Paul Ekman, W. Friesen, and P. Ellsworth, Emotion in the Human Face,
(New York: Pergamon Press, 1972.)
innate and learned. Their use is refined by a host of variables 10Ibid.
including culture, family environment, instructional oppor- ❖
tunities, sex roles, etc. For example, facial expressions are
innate, not learned nonverbal behaviors.* We may add a blend
of facial affects to the basic expressions; but no one has to
teach anyone to express happiness, surprise, fear, etc.
It is impractical to believe that "subtle nonverbal cues" can
always be controlled or changed. Nonverbal communication
cues are powerful because they do not usually come under our ļ- ©1976byDabco
conscious control, and are therefore accurate images of internal
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