Verbal & Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is Culture bound

However, certain universals exist (e.g. smile)
Effective communication is the combined
harmony of verbal and nonverbal actions.
Florello LaGuardia, legendary mayor of NYC 1933-
1945, was fluent in English, Italian, and Yiddish.
Researchers who watched videos of his campaigns with
sound off were able to understand which language he
was speaking by the changes in nonverbal behavior.
 Types of Communication

Vocal Com. Nonvocal

Com.
Verbal Com. Spoken words Written Words
Nonverbal Tone of voice, Gestures,
Com. sighs, movement,
screams, vocal appearance,
qualities, facial
(loudness) etc expression etc
Verbal vs Nonverbal
 Challenges to Communicating Across
Cultures

Communication is a combination of what is said, the

way in which it is said and our body language.

Challenges can be categorized as:

speaking accent
topics of conversation
slang/jargon
 Challenges (cont’d)

Formal/informal language
Tone
Gestures/ Posture
Physical space and contact
Communication Style
Dress and appearance
Gender
The high-context communication style

is associated with a nonverbal, implicit, high-context style of

communication, which predominates in non-Western, collectivist
countries. It does not focus on just the immediate issues, but puts a
particular focus on long-term and emotional aspects of the relationship
between the parties and is preoccupied with considerations of
symbolism, status, and face; It also draws on highly developed
communication strategies for evading confrontation."
Raymond Cohen (paraphrased)

The meaning is not in the words, but in the greater context.

“That’s just great.” (when its not) – “That would be difficult.”
 The low-context communication style

is infused with the can-do, problem-solving spirit, assumes a process of

give-and-take, and is strongly influenced by Anglo-Saxon legal habits.
When negotiation experts suggest a model of negotiation (usually
involving such features as the "joint search for a solution," "isolating
the people from the problem," and the "maximization of joint gains"),
they are proposing a version of the low-context, problem-solving
model. Rational thought is at the base of this model; people are part of
the problem, not the solution; each problem can be solved discretely;
goals are defined in terms of material, not psychic, satisfactions.
Raymond Cohen
(paraphrased)

The words convey the meaning

 Conflicts
A High Context Perspective

Non-Western negotiators tend to be surprised by their negotiation

partner’s ignorance of history, preoccupation with individual rights,
obsession with the immediate problem while neglecting the overall
relationship, excessive bluntness, impatience, disinterest in
establishing a philosophical basis for agreement, extraordinary
willingness to make soft concessions, constant generation of new
proposals, and inability to leave a problem pending. They are
frustrated by their American partner's occasional obtuseness and
insensitivity; tendency to see things and present alternatives in black-
or-white, either-or-terms; appetite for crisis; habit of springing
unpleasant surprises; intimidating readiness for confrontation;
tendency to bypass established channels of authority; inability to take
no for an answer; and obsession with tidying up loose ends and
putting everything down on paper.

Raymond Cohen
 Conflicts
A Low Context Perspective
American negotiators tend to be surprised by their
negotiation partner’s preoccupation with history and
hierarchy, preference for principle over nitty-gritty detail,
personalized and repetitive style of argument, lack of
enthusiasm for explicit and formal agreement, and
willingness to sacrifice substance to form. They are
frustrated by their partners' reluctance to put their cards
on the table, intransigent bargaining, evasiveness,
dilatoriness, and readiness to walk away from the table
without agreement.
Raymond Cohen
Negotiating Across Cultures
 Low Context Communication Styles

Lang primarily used to express thoughts,

feelings, and ideas as clearly/logically as
possible
Majority of info carried in explicit verbal
messages (less focus on the situational context)
Self-expression valued
Opinions/desires expressed direcetly
 High Context Communication Styles

Value lang as a way to maintain social harmony

Important information carried in contextual cues
(time, place, relationship, situation)
Less reliance on explicit verbal messages
Relational harmony valued and maintained by
indirect expression of options
Communicators talk “around” the point
Ambiguity and use of silence admired
 Differences btw Verbal & Nonverbal
Communication

Single vs Multiple Channels

Discrete vs Continuous
Conscious vs Unconscious
Clear vs Ambiguous
 Single Vs Multiple Channels

In Verbal Com. emphasis on orderly and

sequential (one word after the other)
In Nonverbal Com. messages bombard us
simultaneously from a multitude of channels
(facial expressions, posture, gesture, clothing,
proxemics etc)
 Discrete vs Continuous

Verbal messages usually have clear beginnings

and endings
Nonverbal com. provides a constant flow of
messages (continuous and never ending)
Remember that “Nothing never happens” (even
an unanswered call or email is a message)
 Conscious vs Unconscious

In Verbal Com. Usually think about what we

want to say before speaking
Most nonverbal messages aren’t deliberate
(that’s why it offers so many cues as how one is
feeling)
 Clear vs Ambiguous

Verbal com can be confusing

Nonverbal even more vague
 Illustrators & Regulators

Body Movement indicates attitude, conveys

feelings and serves as illustrators and
regulators
Illustrators are nonverbal movements that
accompany and illustrate verbal
communication
Regulators are nonverbal cues that monitor or
control the speaking of another individual
 Indicators

You say to the store attendant "I want that

one," and point to the dress in the display
window. You nod your head up and down to
indicate yes and shake it back and forth to
indicate no. In other words you imitate the
movement you are verbally describing.
 Regulators

While listening to a person you nod your head to

indicate that you understand and are in
agreement with the speaker. You look away or
yawn to indicate that you are bored or would like
for the speaker to stop talking. You frown or raise
your eyebrows to indicate to the speaker that you
either don't believe them or that you don't
understand.
 16 ways
Japanese avoid saying “No”
1. Vague “no”
2. Vague and ambiguous “yes” or “no”
3. Silence
4. Counter question
5. Lateral responses
6. Exiting (leaving)
7. Lying (equivocation or making an excuse—
sickness, previous obligation, etc.)
8. Criticizing the question itself
9. Refusing the question
10. Conditional “no”
11. “Yes, but . . .”
12. Delaying answer (e.g., “We will write you a letter.”)
13. Internally “yes,” externally “no”
14. Internally “no,” externally “yes”
15. Apology
16. The equivalent of the English “no”—
primarily used in filling out forms, not in conversation
 No – Maybe Game
To evade a direct answer to any question
that you are asked.

Sample questions (make up your own):

What is your name?

Where do you live?
Where do you work or go to school?
Where did you get that shirt you are wearing?
Where did you go on your last vacation?
How much money do you have saved?
Do you like to eat Chinese food?
- make up other questions
 No – Maybe Game
Examples.
Possible answers / ways of saying "no" without saying
"no.“

- vague and ambiguous answer

- ask a question back rather than answering their question
- say something that is not on point
- criticize the question
- active listen, paraphrase, or summarize the question
- make the "no" conditional
- saying "yes, but ..."
- delaying the answer
- making an apology
- silence
- tell a lie or make an excuse
- walking away
Opinion
 Types of Nonverbal Communication

Posture & Gestures

Face & Eyes
Voice
Touch
Clothing
Distance
Time
Territoriality
Environment
 Posture & Gestures

Kinesics (study of body movement)

Posture is a rich channel for conveying
nonverbal com.

Note: Posture echoes (mirroring of sb else’s

posture can have positive effects)
 Face & Eyes (occulistics)

 Probably the most noticed parts of the body

 Meeting sb’s glance is not appreciated in all cultures (in
ours it means involvement)
 Ekman & Friesen have identified six basic emotions
that facial expressions reflect:
 Surprise
 Fear
 Anger
 Disgust
 Happiness
 Sadness
(possible combinations of these –affect blends)
 Voice

 Paralanguage (nonverbal, vocal messages)

 E.g. Sarcasm (emphasis and tone of voice can change a
statement’s meaning)
 Research shows that listeners pay more attention to the
vocal messages than to the words that are spoken) and
vocal message carries more weight
 Voice communicates through:
 Speed
 Volume
 Pitch
 Number/length of pauses
 Disfluencies/exclamations (er, um, ah..)
 Touch (haptics)

Touch plays an important role

Consider males and females
 Clothing

 Besides protecting us from the elements, clothing is a means

of nonverbal com.
 We make assumptions about people based on clothing
 Messages it can convey:
 Economic status
 Educational level
 Social status
 Moral standards
 Athletic ability and other interests
 Belief system (political, philosophical, religious)
 Level of sophistication
 Distance (proxemics)

Distance zones (Edward hall)

 Intimate distance (begins with skin contact -18 inches)
people are emotionally close. Allowing people in this
zone is a sign of trust
 Personal distance (18 inch-4 feet). Most couples stand in
public
 Social distance (4-12 feet). Business situations. More
formal and impersonal situations
 Public distance (+ 12 feet)
 Time (chronemics)

How people use and structure time

E.g. waiting can indicate status in a culture that
values time
 Punctuality

Western Asian
 Territoriality

Personal space is the invisible bubble we carry

around us, but territory is a fixed space (desk,
room, neighborhood, country) in which we
assume some kind of rights in our country.
(e.g. boss has larger desk and office; univ profs
have offices ss don’t…shows status)
 Environment

The physical environment people create can

both reflect and shape interaction
E.g. our home’s style can communicate things
about us
E.g. furniture in fast food restaurants designed
to be uncomfortable
 Exercise: Look at these physical actions. Are they
acceptable in your national culture?

Smoking Scratching your head

Touching sb on the arm as you speak to Crossing your arms
them
Looking sb straight in the eyes for 5’’ or Putting your feet on the table
more
Sitting with your legs wide apart Not looking at sb when you speak to
them
Adjusting your clothing: tie, bra, trouser Yawning
belt
Moving close to sb Whispering to a colleague
Standing with hands on hips Nodding your head emphatically
Laughing loudly Blowing your nose