Journal 1

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CREDIBILITY IN NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

THREE DIMENSIONS OF CREDIBILITY

Credibility is an essential for successful persuasive communication

The speaker’s credibility is evaluated by the message receiver

Competence

Trustworthiness  competence and trustworthiness are the most important two dimensions for

credibility

Dynamism  a concept generated from impression formation research, measuring how

“potent” the communicator’s behavior is

EXERCISE: PERSUASION

Find a topic/cause/issue that you believe in

Ex.:  vegetarian diet

 pro life vs. pro choice

 pro vs. against death penalty

 attendance requirement in undergrad?

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COMPETENCE

Most important dimension

to be recognized as an expert in the subject discussed and, as a result, gaining confidence

has traditionally been perceived as an element that’s gained through verbal communication (i.e., information); but now, NV is recognized as an important element

“tension-leakage” cues would be judged less competent: nonfluencey, shifty eyes, lip moistening.

TRUSTWORTHINESS trustworthiness is a measure of our character as seen by those persons with whom we interact

based on assessment of an individual’s personal qualities, intentions, and attitude

generally evaluated through nonverbal

DYNAMISM defines people’s credibility or image in terms of the level of confidence they are perceived to have.

trigger a reciprocal feeling of confidence in those with whom we communicate.

“shy, introverted, soft-spoken individual is generally perceived as less credible than the assertive extroverted and forceful individual.”

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INFLUENCING ATTITUDES & BEHAVIORS

Direct-Effects/Social Meanings Model of Immediacy  increase in nonverbal immediacy substantially enhances a persuader's change of gaining compliance  Gaze  Touch  Touch-& Gaze have additive effects on compliance

 When soliciting for charity, requesting signatures for a petition, asking for a favor, or seeking assistance from a stranger, the combination of touch and gaze considerably increases one’s chance of achieving compliances

THEORIES ABOUT INCREASING CREDIBILITY

1. Direct-Effects/Social Meaning Models

2. Communication Accommodation Model

3. Expectancy Violations Theory

EXPLAINING DIRECT-EFFECTS/SOCIAL MEANING MODELS

Power  touch, fast speaking, official uniforms, direct gaze  dominant nonverbal behaviors (e.g., harsh facial expressions, command tone of voice) give an added persuasive boost to immediacy behaviors  smiling is highly persuasive (but a submissive behavior)

Attention  is prerequisite to message processing and the eventual compliance  immediacy behaviors are “approach” behaviors that increases sensory stimulation

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EXPLAINING DIRECT-EFFECTS/SOCIAL MEANING MODELS

Warmth positive interaction emotion arousal (“feel good”) and cognitive processing

Liking immediacy principle: people are drawn to persons they like, evaluate highly and prefer; and they avoid or move away from things they dislike, evaluate negatively or don’t prefer

COMMUNICATION-ACCOMMODATION THEORY

 listeners perceive speech similar to their own as more attractive, pleasant, and intelligible

 speakers typically adjust or accommodate their speech to the style or rate of the interactant, event though most speakers are unaware of this accommodating

 people are more likely to be influenced by others who speak at the same rate and share similar voice tones as their own (i.e., matching of vocal cues)

EXPECTANCY VIOLATIONS THEORY

rewarding communicators are more persuasive when they violate expectancies BUT unrewarding communicators are more persuasive when their behavior is consistent with expectancies  attractive individuals are perceived to be more credible, knowledgeable, and competent (e.g., physical and vocal attractiveness)

distraction models: irrelevant distractions may reduce persuasion  high status/attractiveness as distraction?  the cognitive process

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BEHAVIORS TO ESTABLISH CREDIBILITY

Eye Behavior  failure to sustain eye contact is the most damaging thing for

demonstrating confidence  we are simply not believable unless we exhibit certain types of eye

behavior

Gestures and Postures

Voice  strongly affects other’s perception of the speaker’s personality traits

and personal qualities  dialect vs. regional accent  anxiety indicators: stuttering, tongue slips, sentence change, incompletions, pauses filled with

ah, phrases like “you know”