Class 19: Nonverbal Communication

Notes

Nonverbal communication affects how the words one says is perceived and understood.  A number of things can influence verbal communication

1. Physical environment- changing the physical environment may change the situation, but it also affects us.
1. The physical environment effects moods
2. Lighting, furniture, colors, temperature, noise, and music are parts of the physical environment that we can change.
2. Proxemics- the social and personal space
1. How close would you be sitting next to a stranger? a friend? a significant other?
3. Physical characteristics- height, hair style, clothes
4. Gestures
1. Speech independent gestures- nodding/shaking of head, using the middle-finger, shrugging, hugs, thumbs up, peace sign
2. Speech dependent gestures- emphasis of words (the fish I caught was THIS big)
5. Posture- the way we sit, stand, walk, or carry ourselves
6. Touching
1. Self-focused (twirling your hair, scratching your chin)
2. Other-focused (touching shoulder while consoling other)
7. Facial expressions
8. Eye behavior- where are you looking?  Are you maintaining eye contact or looking at the hole in the other person's shirt?
9. Vocal behavior- Are you speaking loudly? Is your voice higher than normal (which happens when you are yelling)? What sorts of messages does your voice give away about your intentions or meaning?

Activities

• Imagine you are having a conversation with your best friend about a medical procedure you recently had done.  Imagine how loud you would be speaking.  Now think about having the same conversation in a quiet library.  Would you have the same conversation?  What about in a loud cafeteria?  If you had the same conversation, would you be speaking the same volume?
• Go out to a restaurant or coffee shop and watch as pairs interact.  How close are they to each other, and what does that indicate about their relationship?  Going through the list of non-verbal communication tactics, what can you guess is going on in the conversation?  What sort of a relationship do they have? What sort of a conversation are they having?

Works Cited

Knapp, Mark L and Judith A. Hall. 2002. Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning.