Download non-verbal communication - Dr. Jay Barrett`s Classes

Interpersonal Communication
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
by
Jay Barrett
What do you know about me through my nonverbal communication in class?
Abstract factors of Non-verbal
communication:
• Physical appearance
– What image do I portray?
– What does it tell you about me?
– How does my appearance affect you, or does it?
• Nonlinguistic dimension
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Volume
Rate
Pitch
Body language
Gestures
Facial expressions
Thought to Ponder:
• Is it possible to be a non-verbal
communicator?
• Why or why not?
• Discuss this with your “shoulder buddy”
for a couple of minutes
• Be prepared to share your thoughts!!
Definition of Non-verbal
Communication:
• If NON = NOT
• Verbal = Word
• Therefore, Non-verbal means, “without
words”
• This is technically true, BUT non-verbal
communication is much more complicated
• Example: Is American Sign Language
(used in deaf culture) a form of Non-verbal
communication?
• Why or why Not?
Working Definition:
• Non-verbal communication: “Messages by nonlinguistic means”
• Here are some examples of messages
transmitted by vocal means but don’t involve
language
• Sighs, laughs, coughs, etc.
• There is also a non-linguistic dimension: volume,
pitch, and rate
• Non-verbal communication can be abstract:
physical appearance, communication
environment, proximity, etc
• Also includes the most popular understandings of
non-verbal communication: body language,
gestures, facial expressions, etc.
Body Language Differences
Between Men and Women
• Men and women are from different planets, or
so we’re told. Anytime the discussion turns to
gender differences, no matter what the topic,
it’s easy to fall into old stereotypes and old
assumptions about men and women.
• The truth is that when it comes to body
language there are indeed differences between
the genders.
• This does not mean one gender is inherently
“better” or “worse” than the other is; it just
means they have different tendencies and
characteristics.
• What Are The Differences Between
Men and Women?
• Body language differences between men
and woman show up in two primary ways.
• There are differences in behaviors as well
as differences in the purpose behind their
behaviors.
• Some of these differences are thanks to
nature; that is, they are “preprogrammed” into each gender.
• Others, however, are learned through
experience and can differ greatly from
one culture to another.
• For instance, women are generally more
likely to display nurturing behaviors,
show emotions, and let their feelings
come through.
• Men, on the other hand, are generally
more likely to display behaviors of power,
dominance, and assertiveness.
• In the modern world, however, these
general tendencies are subject to far
more variability than ever before.
• This is due to increased acceptance and
comfort with each gender displaying nontypical body language in many different
situations.
• Despite this increase in freedom to display
non-typical body language, there are still
some general differences between men
and women. The two most common are:
• Differences in receiving messages –
Women tend to be better at receiving body
language messages, especially when it
comes to noticing inconsistencies between
body language and verbal language.
• Differences in sending messages – Men
tend to be less skilled at using subtle body
language to influence communication
without seeming to be doing so at all.
• There are actual physical reasons for
these differences.
• Women process messages using up
to 16 different parts of their brain at
once, while men process messages
using about six or 7 different parts of
their brain at once.
• Neither is better than the other is,
but each processing pattern does
influence the receiving and sending
of messages based on gender.
• So How Can Men and Women Handle These
Differences?
• As with most things divided up along gender
lines, the body language differences between
men and women are best used as general
guidelines.
• They are a starting point, if you will, for
engaging in interactions and going through the
process of establishing rapport, building trust,
and the like.
• They are only a starting point, however, because
interpreting and understanding body language
requires a great deal of observation and simply
getting to know the characteristics of the other
person.
• Greater awareness and understanding of
differences can also help a great deal in
preventing different interpretations of body
language or, when those different interpretations
occur, in resolving potential conflicts and
misunderstandings.
• The key is to be respectful of differences and not
belittle or judge either gender based on body
language issues.
• When both men and women make a point of
sharing each other’s perspectives and learning
from those differences, both genders learn to
better interpret and understand the non-verbal
communication of the other.
So, “What’s the BOTTOM LINE?”
• Social scientists have argued that 65
to 93% of emotional impact occurs in
non-verbal sources
• All behavior has communicative
value (some intended and some
unintended)
• Try to think of a behavior that
doesn’t express some type of nonverbal message
BOTTOM LINE Continued:
• Final thought: non-verbal behavior or
signals account for up to 70% of all
human communication (Erving Goffman,
Lingualist)
• Non-verbal behaviors vary dramatically
from individual to individual and from
culture to culture