Nonverbal Communication – Flashcards

All behaviors, symbols, attributes, or objects--whether intended or not--that communicate messages with social meaning.

1. Tone of voice 2. Facial expressions 3. Posture 4. Gestures 5. Appearance

enhance/change/such as when tone of voice, volume, or facial expression adds emphasis to meaning.

nonverbally/verbally/meaning

1. It occurs constantly 2. It depends on context 3. It is more believable than verbal communication 4. It is a primary means of expression 5. It is related to culture 6. It is ambiguous

Because when another person is aware of you, or you of them, communication occurs whether something is said or not. If you make eye contact, smile, frown, or totally ignore the other person, you are communicating. Sometimes what is said is less important than what is not said.

Nonverbal communications meaning differs depending on the set of circumstances. For example, within the context of friendship, direct eye contact with a person with whom you are not friends with can mean something totally different from such contact with a close friend.

Because nonverbal cues are more representative of our emotions. Verbal communication is more conscious; it involves more processing of thoughts and impulses into words. Although nonverbal messages can be conscious and deliberate, they often, are unintentional and subconsciously generated. It is almost always easier to determine what you are going to say, but it is very difficult for must of us to control our voices, facial expression, and other body movements when we are upset, hurt, or angry.

Because almost all of our feelings attitudes are expressed through our nonverbal behavior.

Culture contributes significantly to differences in nonverbal behavior. Norms and rules that govern behavior differ from culture to culture. Cultures formulate rules that dictate when, how, and with what consequences nonverbal expressions are exhibited. People belonging to different cultures also infer emotions in somewhat different ways. For example, in the United States, because we are an individualistic culture, facial expressions, body movements, eye contact, and other nonverbal cues are a primary source of such information. In contrast, in collectivistic cultures, relationships and status between people are significant. Yet because human beings around the world share common biological and social functions, there are areas of similarity in nonverbal communication. For example, studies comparing facial expressions have found that certain universal expressions, such as those indicating fear are easily understood across cultures.

Because most nonverbal behaviors have a multitude of possible meanings, and to assume automatically that you have grasped the only possible meaning could lead to serious misunderstanding. No consistent rules are in place for using or interpreting nonverbal communication. Interpreting nonverbal behavior requires understanding the context in which it takes place and the cultural norms governing it.

1. To complement verbal behavior 2. To repeat verbal behavior 3. To regulate verbal behavior 4. To substitute for verbal behavior 5. To deceive.

We use complimentary nonverbal cues to accent verbal behavior by emphasizing or punctuating our spoken words.

By accompanying the verbal message with a nonverbal message with the same meaning such as a nod after "yes."

We use nonverbal communication to control the flow of communication such as nonverbal signals that indicate "stop."

We use nonverbal signals when speaking is impossible, undesirable, or inappropriate.

We can purposely mislead people by using nonverbal cues to create false impressions or to convey incorrect information. A poker face is an example.

1. Facial expressions and body movements 2. Physical characteristics 3. Touch 4. Space 5. Time 6. Paralanguage/Vocalics 7. Silence 8. Artifacts 9. Environment

Also called body language, it is any movement of the face or body that communicates a message.

The study of eye movement or eye behavior.

Configurations of the face that can reflect, augment, or appear unrelated to a speaker's message.

Eye behavior

relationships

emotions.

facial expressions

Their personality

may be partially reliable in terms of what they express/This is because must of us have learned to conceal our real feelings from others.

Techniques that are used to intensify, deintensify, neutralize, or mask a felt emotion.

Touching in communication or tactile communication. One of the most basic forms of communication.

The study of how we use space and the distance we place between others and ourselves when communicating.

The need for us to identify certain amounts of space as our own.

The study of how people perceive, structure, and use time in their communication.

The way we vocalize, or say, the words we speak. It includes not only speech sounds but also speech rate, accents, articulation, pronunciation, and silence.

Personal adornments or possessions that communicate information about us.

The psychological and physical surroundings in which communication occurs.

When you take action to show that you care about how others perceive your behavior by showing willingness to change behavior to fit a given situation, an awareness of how we affect others, and the ability to regulate nonverbal cues and other factors to influence others' impressions.

1. Nonverbal cues have multiple meanings: Nonverbal communication can be difficult to understand because a single behavior can have many potential meanings. Interpretations are unreliable because they depend so heavily on subjective perceptions. Unlike words, nonverbal cues lack objective dictionary definitions. 2. Nonverbal cues are interdependent: The meaning of one nonverbal cue often depends on the correct interpretation of several other simultaneously occurring cues. Each cue intermeshes and adds to the total picture. Our inability to perceive all aspects of any one nonverbal communication make interpretation risky. 3. Nonverbal cues are subtle: Many are subtle and difficult to observe. A cue that one person notices right away might be missed by another; thus, multiple interpretations may be made in the same situation.

Looking for meaning by using more than one nonverbal message at a time. Doesn't isolate cues but looks at how each cue interacts and works with others to perform various communicative functions.

A method used to verify the meaning of a nonverbal message if you are not certain of the sender's intention. It is where you describe to the sender what you perceived the message to mean. When using descriptive feedback, do not express agreement or disagreement or draw conclusions; simply describe the message you believe was communicated. Describe the situation nonjudgmentally. This allows the person to explain without feeling defensive, and it enables you to avoid inaccurate interpretations.