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Nonverbal
Communication
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Upward of 60% of meaning in any social situation is
communicated nonverbally (Burgoon & Bacue, 2003)
Others believe 93% of meaning is communicated
nonverbally (Mehabian, 1972)
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A Closer look at these percentages:
The importance of the verbal to the nonverbal was
determined by the use of only 37 subjects, who were female
University of California undergraduates participating in the
study as partial fulfillment of introductory psychology course
requirements.
“The specific percentages are not important; rather, what is
important is that you recognize how essential nonverbal cues
are to us as we interpret what we think people mean"
(Brilhart and Galanes (1989) p. 138).
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Characteristics of Nonverbal
Communication
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Nonverbal behavior has communicative value
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Nonverbal communication is inevitable
Nonverbal communication primarily relational
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Identity management
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Define relationships
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Convey emotions that we may be unwilling to express
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Characteristics of Nonverbal
Communication
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Nonverbal communication is ambiguous
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“Superior Customer Service”
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Decoding ability increases with age and training
Nonverbal communication is different from
Verbal Communication
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Nonverbal Skills are Important
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Influences on Nonverbal
Communication
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Culture
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Gender
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Cultural Variations
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In Japan, people gaze at Adam’s apple and avoid direct eye contact
(Samovar, Porter, McDaniel (2009)
Native American, Latin American, Caribbean, and African cultures see
direct gazes as disrespectful
Arabs look intently into the person’s eyes
OK sign is a vulgar gesture in Germany and Brazil, means “your
worth zero” in France and Belgium, sexual invitation is Greece and
Turkey, “I’ll kill you” in Tunisia
South and Central America and Southern Europe encourage contact
in touching (Neuliep, 2006)
Asian cultures are low-contact
People from the Middle East stand much closer
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(Hall, 1969), (Warnecke, Masters, Kempter, 1992)
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Cultural Variations cont.
Arabs speak with great deal of volume to convey strength and sincerity
(Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, 2009)
Britain and Asian cultures prefer soft voices (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel,
2009)
Western Cultures / Individualistic (US) require more space than collectivist
cultures (Asia) (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, 2009)
Western Cultures are more time conscious (Hall, 1959)
Mexican culture doesn’t specify an exact time
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(Hall, 1969), (Warnecke, Masters, Kempter, 1992)
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Gender
Link between smiling and levels of the male
testosterone (Cashdan, 1995)
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Women are more accurate at interpreting nonverbal signals
Women tend to play more often with their hair and/or clothing
and tap their fingers (Pearson, Turner, West, 1995)
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Women have more frequent eye contact (Cegala, Sillars,
1989)
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Women are more accurate at interpreting nonverbal
(Argyle, 1988), (JA Hall, 1979), (JA Hall, 2006), (JA Hall & Horgan, 2001)
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Gender cont.
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Touch? Who touches more? Why?
Women are more vocally expressive, high pitched,
softer in volume
Women stand at closer distances
Women face conversational partners
Men have more expansive gestures
Men require more space
Women are better at detecting lies (Buller & Burgoon, 1994),
(McCornack & Parks, 1990)
(Argyle, 1988), (JA Hall, 1979), (JA Hall, 2006), (JA Hall & Horgan, 2001)
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Functions of Nonverbal Communication
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Repeating
Substituting
Complementing
Accenting
Regulating
Contradicting
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Deceiving
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Actors, Lawyers, diplomats and salespeople are more
successful at deception (Riggio & Freeman, 1983)
Coin toss has a better outcome? (Feeley & Young, 1998)
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Types of Nonverbal Communication
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(Kinesics) - Body Movement, Gesture, Posture, Face
and Eyes
(Paralanguage) - Voice
Appearance - Physical Attractiveness, Clothing
(Haptics) - Touch
(Proxemics) – Distance, Space, Territoriality
Environment
(Chronemics) - Time
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Kinesics
Posture and Gestures
 Career Counselors use “posture echoes” (Maurer & Tindall,
1983)
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Rapists use postural clues to select victims
Detecting status based on posture
Manipulators
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Face and Eyes
Kinesics
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Talkers hold eye contact about 40% of the time
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Listeners hold eye contact about 70% of the time
(Knapp & Hall, 2006)
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Smiling cocktail waitresses earn larger tips
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Pupils grow larger in proportion to degree of interest - Arab
merchant noticed pupil of customer (Hess & Plott, 1960)
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Emotional Contagion (Hinsz & Tomhave, 1991)
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Facial expressions are hard to read because of speed which
they change and the many different emotions displayed
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Paralanguage (voice)
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Pitch,Volume, Rate, Quality, Intonation,Vocalized pauses
Listeners pay more attention to vocal messages than
words being spoken
Communicators are most likely to comply with requests
delivered by speakers whose rate is similar to their own
(Buller & Kane, 1992)
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Those who speak loudly & without hesitation are viewed
as more confident
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Appearance
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Endomorph (round and heavy)
Mesomorph (muscular and strong)
Ectomorph (lean with little muscle)
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Appearance
Physical Attractiveness
 Posture, gestures, facial expressions and other behaviors
increase attractiveness
 Women who are perceived as attractive have more dates,
higher grades in college, persuade males with greater ease,
receive lighter court sentences (Knapp & Hall, 1992)
 Shorter men have more difficulty finding jobs (Adler & Rodman)
 Men over 6’2” receive salaries at 12.4% higher
 Children as young as 3 agree on attraction
 Attractive students are seen as more intelligent, friendly, and
popular (Abdala, Knapp, Theune, 2002)
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Clothing and Personal Grooming
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Appearance
Clothing
 Uniforms influence pedestrians to pick up litter
 Solicitors wearing sheriff’s and nurse’s uniforms increase level of
contributions to law enforcement and health care campaigns
(Lawerence & Watson, 1991)
 83% of pedestrians followed jay-walker dressed in higher-status clothing
- 48% of pedestrians followed jay-walker dressed in lower-status
clothing
 Women wearing a suit and jacket are rated more powerful
 Feminine clothing is decorative, masculine clothing is functional (Wood,
2007)
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Haptics (Touch)
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Children “wasted away” in orphanages in nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries
Increases child’s mental functioning and physical health
(Montagu, 1972 and Yarrow, 1963 and others…)
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70% who were touch complied, 40% of untouched
complied (dime study) (Kleinke, 1977 and Willis & Hamm, 1980)
Larger tips & alcohol consumption for waiters and
waitresses (Crusco & Wetzel, 1984)
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Proxemics (Space)
Distance
 Intimate Distance
 Personal Distance
 Social Distance
 Public Distance
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Proxemics (Space)
Territoriality
 Grant people with higher status more personal territory
 We assume ownership to the parts of physical space we
occupy
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Environment
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Researchers showed 99 students slides of the interior of
12 upper-middle-class homes
Professors with well-decorated offices were more
credible
Removing a doctor’s desk makes patients feel almost 5
times more at ease
Arrangement of desks in a classroom
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Chronemics (Time)
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American teacher discovered cultural differences in time
when teaching at college in Brazil
How do we view time?
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