speech essay

Chapter 6 Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Communication Uses Multiple Channels • Information conveyed through multiple channels:

‒ Auditory  Pitch and tone

‒ Visual  Facial expressions, gestures, postures,

appearance ‒ Tactile  Physical contact

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Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication • Nonverbal communication

‒ Unspoken physical and behavioral cues ‒ Uses multiple channels ‒ Conveys more meaning than verbal ‒ Blends with verbal communication ‒ Influenced by gender and culture

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Nonverbal Communication Conveys More Meaning Than Verbal Communication • Incongruent messages

‒ When verbal and nonverbal behaviors contradict

‒ Nonverbal messages trusted more than verbal • Congruent messages

‒ When verbal and nonverbal communication match

‒ Perceived as direct, honest

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Nonverbal Communication Blends with Verbal Communication • Five ways:

‒ Replace verbal expressions with nonverbal messages

‒ Repeat verbal messages ‒ Deliberately contradict verbal with nonverbal

messages ‒ Enhance meaning of verbal messages ‒ Spotlight parts of verbal messages

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Nonverbal Communication Is Influenced by Gender (1 of 2) • Stereotypes about gender and nonverbal

communication: ‒ Men: strong, aggressive ‒ Women: submissive, meek

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Nonverbal Communication Is Influenced by Gender (2 of 2) • Factual differences in nonverbal communication

‒ Women better at communicating nonverbally  More accuracy interpreting others’ nonverbal

expressions  Greater facial expressiveness  Gaze at others more

‒ Men are more territorial

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Nonverbal Communication Is Influenced by Culture • High-contact cultures

‒ Prefer frequent touching, shared gaze ‒ Close physical proximity, direct body orientation

• Low-contact cultures ‒ Prefer infrequent touching, little shared gaze ‒ Larger physical distance, indirect body

orientation

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Types of Nonverbal Communication (1 of 8) • Body movement (kinesics)

‒ Facial expressions ‒ Eye contact ‒ Gestures  Emblems, illustrators, regulators, adaptors

‒ Body postures

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Types of Nonverbal Communication (2 of 8) • Voice (vocalics)

‒ Tone: resonance, breathiness of voice ‒ Pitch: frequency range of voice ‒ Loudness: volume of voice ‒ Speech rate: how quickly you speak

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Types of Nonverbal Communication (3 of 8) • Touch (haptics)

‒ Functional-professional touch  Used to accomplish tasks

‒ Social-polite touch  Social norms, expectations

‒ Friendship-warmth touch  Expresses liking for another person

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Types of Nonverbal Communication (4 of 8)

‒ Love-intimacy touch  Conveys deep emotional feelings

‒ Sexual-arousal touch  Intended to physically stimulate another person

‒ Aggressive-hostile touch  Forms of physical violence

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Types of Nonverbal Communication (5 of 8) • Personal space (proxemics)

‒ Intimate space: 0 to 18 inches  Extremely close

‒ Personal space: 18 inches to 4 feet  Encounters with friends

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Types of Nonverbal Communication (6 of 8)

‒ Social space: 4 feet to 12 feet  Workplace or with acquaintances, strangers

‒ Public space: 12 feet +  Formal occasions

‒ Space preferences vary widely across cultures

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Types of Nonverbal Communication (7 of 8)

An illustration titled Spatial Distances presents, in inches and feet, the proxemics zones of Intimate space, Personal space, Social space, and Public space.

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Types of Nonverbal Communication (8 of 8) • Appearance

‒ “Attractive” people viewed in good ways ‒ People judge based on visible attributes  Hair, clothing, body type

‒ Artifacts  Possessions that communicate identity to others

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Environmental Features

• Two types: ‒ Fixed features  Relatively stable parts of environment  Walls, ceilings, floors

‒ Semi-fixed features  Impermanent, usually easy to change  Furniture, lighting, color

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Functions of Nonverbal Communication

• Conveying meanings • Expressing emotion (affect displays) • Presenting self • Managing interactions • Defining relationships

‒ Intimacy, power balance, dominance, submissiveness

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Strengthening Your Nonverbal Communication Skills • Enhance your nonverbal expressiveness

‒ Accurately convey feelings, attitudes through nonverbal

• Inhibit your nonverbal behaviors ‒ Controlling nonverbal behaviors

• Check your nonverbal attributions ‒ Interpret meaning, intent behind others’

nonverbal

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