Non-verbal Communication Codes

1. Kinesics
2. Proxemics
3. Iconics
4. Objectics
5. Haptics
6. Chronemics
7. Oculesics
8. Paralanguage
- rate/tempo
- pitch
- volume/intensity
- quality/timbre
9. Silence

1. Kinesics communication is the technical term for body language, i.e., communicating by body movement.
-gestures
-posture
-facial expression

Filipinos may point to objects by puckering their lips and moving their mouths in the direction they are pointing to.

Putting one’s hands on their hips is a sign of anger.

Among relatives or friends of the same gender, it is common for Filipinos to walk hand in hand or arm in arm. This is
generally done so as a sign of affection, friendship or if they are shy and would like someone to accompany them.

2. Proxemics is a theory of non-verbal communication that explains how people perceive and use space to achieve
communication goals.

When interacting with people they are familiar with, Filipinos tend to prefer standing at an arm's length from
one another. Around strangers this distance is farther. However, in public areas like a market or subway, personal space
is often limited and pushing is common.

In his book, The Silent Language, Edward Hall outlined the following ideas behind proxemic theory:

1. There are four types of distances people keep: intimate (0 to 18 inches), personal (18 inches to 4 feet), social (4 to 10
feet), and public (over 10 feet).
2. The distances outlined are those deliberately chosen by individuals. Forced closeness doesn’t factor in proxemics.
3. Proxemic behavior is learned mostly from observing others rather than from explicit instruction, which is why
personal distance and physical contact varies by culture.
3. Iconic systems are systems of communication in which icons or symbols are used to represent words or linguistic
concepts. (E. Spencer, n.d.)

4. Objectics- the study of how objects influence communication.

5. Haptics is a form of non- verbal communication using a sense of touch. Some forms of Haptics communication is
Handshake, or a gentle pat on back, or a high five.

A hand on shoulder may supportive for one person whereas for another person it may be negative for another.

We use handshake to gain trust and introduce ourselves

Haptics rules changes according to different cultures, context and status of relationships.

In US the main form of greeting is handshake, though with friends they may hug each other. In Japan people bow at
each other upon meeting and touching is rather considered rude.

In Latin America kissing either on one or both cheeks is considered as form of greeting.

6. Chronemics is the study of the use of time in nonverbal communication. The way that an individual would perceive
and value time, structure our time and react to time is a powerful communication tool, and helps set the stage for the
communication process.

Across cultures, time perception plays a large role in the nonverbal communication process. Time perceptions include
punctuality, willingness to wait, and interactions.

The use of time can affect lifestyles, daily agendas, speed of speech, movements and how long people are willing to
listen. Time can also be used as an indicator of status.

For example, in most companies the boss can interrupt progress to hold an impromptu meeting in the middle of the
work day, yet the average worker would have to make an appointment to see the boss.

The way different cultures perceive time can influence communication as well.

7. Oculesics refers to the study of eye contact and pupil dilation in terms of nonverbal communication.

Eye contact indicates interest, openness, though aggressive eye contact--or staring--can be interpreted as a sign of
hostility.

In addition to this, lack of eye contact also transmits a message, oftentimes that the listener is bored and/or is not
paying attention.

It must be noted that culture plays a role in oculesics, for the necessity of eye contact and the civility it provides in
American culture differs greatly from an Asian culture, for example, where eye contact is often considered rude
(DeFleur, 2005).

8. Paralanguage includes accent, pitch, volume, speech rate, modulation, and fluency.

9. Silence is an extremely important communication tool in our evolving intercultural world. Silence has a variety of
meanings to different groups of people all around the world, but remains a consistent part of our everyday non-verbal
communication.
Intercultural Communication
-the sending and receiving of messages across languages and cultures.

Intercultural communication can become very interesting. However, it may also be confusing and misleading when
communication is disrupted by cultural collisions.

It is important for you to acknowledge and understand the many communication patterns present in other cultures.