BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Non-verbal Communication

Class date: -- Dec, 2023

CLICK THIS TEXT TO GET ALL THE NOTES

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is expressed through nonlinguistic means. It is the actions or

attributes of humans, including their appearance, use of objects, sound, time, smell, and
space, that have socially shared significance and stimulate meaning in others. It includes
visual/kinesic cues such as facial expressions, eye movements, gestures, and body
orientation; vocal/paralinguistic cues such as volume, pitch, rate, and inflection; proxemic
cues such as space and distance; olfactory or smell cues; cues provided via artifactual
communication and appearance; cues sent via color; and chronemic or time cues.

The Functions of Nonverbal Communication

1. Nonverbal cues can contradict or negate verbal messages. When this happens
what is said and what is done are at odds. Imagine the salesperson that just lost a
deal, screaming, “I’m not angry!” this verbal messages is negated by the source’s
nonverbal behavior which represents a double-message—the words say one thing,
the nonverbal cues, another.
2. Nonverbal cues can emphasize or underscore a verbal message. For example,
when you wave your finger accusingly and raise your voice to demonstrate your
anger as you say, “It is your fault, not mine.” Your behavior provides the italics.
3. Nonverbal cues can regulate or control person-to-person interaction. Using
nonverbal cues, we establish the rules of order or “turn-taking” during talk. With
eye contact, gestures, and voice we control who should speak next and thus direct
the flow of verbal exchanges. The regulatory skills of others influence our judgments
of them. For example, if we feel that talking to Eli is like talking to a wall, or that
when we talk to Taylor we can’t get a word in its side, it may be because we do not
get the turns or attention that we feel we deserve when we interact with Eli or
Taylor.
4. Nonverbal cues can reinforce or complement a verbal message. With your keys
and coat in your hand, you announce, “I have to leave now,” as you walk toward
your car.
5. Nonverbal cues can substitute for or take the place of spoken words. When we
don’t know what to say to express our sorrow at the death of a friend or a relative,
an embrace often suffices. Similarly, when someone asks, “What do you want to do
tonight?” a shrug of the shoulders frequently is used in place of “I don’t know.” Often
when actions substitute for words, the nonverbal cues function as symbols of the
verbal messages because they are widely understood.

HMKH/CUCBA/BC/NVC
CHARACTERISTICS OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Nonverbal communication is an essential part of the total communication package. From a

nonverbal perspective, you are a lighthouse of information continually sending messages
from which others derive meaning. All Nonverbal Behavior Has Message Value. While we
can refrain ourselves from speaking—we literally can shut our mouths—it is impossible for
us to stop behaving. Behavior, whether intentional or unintentional, is ongoing.

1. You cannot stop sending nonverbal messages. As long as someone is aware of

your presence and is there to decode your nonverbal communication, it is
impossible for you not to communicate. Even if you turn your back on the observer
and remove yourself from his or her sight, you are communicating.
2. Nonverbal Communication Is Ambiguous. Although nonverbal cues are
continuous and frequently involuntary, others can evaluate them in different ways—
that is, what we communicate may be ambiguous and subject to misinterpretation.
One nonverbal cue can trigger a variety of meanings. Nonverbal cues may not mean
what others think they do. There could be any number of reasons why a person
looks at a watch, coughs, or rubs his or her eyes. All nonverbal behavior should be
interpreted within a specific context.
3. Nonverbal Communication Is Predominantly Relational. Many find it easier to
communicate emotions and feelings nonverbally. We convey liking, attraction,
anger, and respect for authority nonverbally. In fact, our primary means of revealing
our inner states, that typically are not readily transmitted using words, is through
nonverbal communication. For example, we usually look to the face to assess
emotional state. We look to the mouth to evaluate contempt. We look to the eyes to
evaluate dominance and competence. We base our judgments of confidence and
relationship closeness on our reading of gestures and posture, and we listen to the
voice to help us evaluate both assertiveness and self-confidence.
4. Nonverbal Behavior May Reveal Deception. When a person says one thing but
means another, we can use our deception detection skills to determine that the
person’s behavior contradicts his or her words. Under most circumstances, when
there is a discrepancy or inconsistency between verbal and nonverbal messages,
researchers advise that you believe the nonverbal cues, which are more difficult to
fake.3 Deception clues or leakage can be detected in changes in facial or vocal
expression, gestures, or slips of the tongue.4 In fact, once strong emotions are
aroused, these changes may occur automatically, with our words, body, and voice
betraying us by thwarting our attempts to conceal them.

HMKH/CUCBA/BC/NVC
TYPES OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

To improve our ability to read another person, we explore eight nonverbal message
categories including (1) kinesics, (2) paralinguistics, (3) proxemics, (4) haptics, (5)
olfactics,(6) artifacts and appearance, (7) color, and (8) chronemics.

HMKH/CUCBA/BC/NVC
KINESICS: THE MESSAGES OF MOVEMENT

Kinesics is the study of human body motion. It includes such variables as facial expression,
eye movement, gestures, posture, and walking speed. Valuable communicator information
is contained in the look on your face, whether you stare or avert your gaze, whether your
shoulders are straight or drooped, whether you lips are curved in a smile or signal
contempt with a sneer, and whether your gait suggests eagerness or anxiety.

Face and Eye Talk.

Picture yourself as part of each of the following scenarios:
Your spouse has had an operation. You are meeting with the doctor to discuss the
prognosis. You search the doctor’s face, looking for clues.
You return home a day late from a business trip. Your spouse meets you at the door. As you
approach, your eyes focus on the face of your significant other.
Almost immediately, the face of the doctor or your spouse in each situation could cause you
to cry, put you at ease, or frighten you.

The Face.
The face is the main channel we use to decode the feelings of others. Quite simply, faces
talk. Chatter oozes out of their every movement. In fact, it is wise to depend on facial cues
to facilitate person-to-person interaction.
What do faces reveal? Faces tell us many things, including the following:
1. Whether parties to an interaction find it pleasant or unpleasant
2. How interested an individual is in sustaining or terminating contact
3. The degree of involvement of the parties
4. Whether responses during contact are spontaneous or controlled
5. The extent to which messages are understood and shared

The face is also the prime communicator of emotion. Our ability to read the emotions
depicted in facial expressions determines whether we will be able to respond appropriately
to others’ feelings.

The Eyes.
“Shifty eyes.” “Goo-goo eyes.” “The evil eye.” “Eye to eye.” Eye behaviors are a key part of
interpersonal communication, as we use our eyes to establish, maintain, and terminate
contact. As with all nonverbal cues, the messages you send with your eyes may be
interpreted in a variety of ways, but there are three central functions eye movements
serve:

HMKH/CUCBA/BC/NVC
1. Eyes reveal the extent of interest and emotional involvement.
2.Eyes influence judgments of persuasiveness and perceptions of dominance or
submissiveness.
3. Eyes regulate person-to-person interaction.

In order for others to find you persuasive, you must refrain from excessive blinking and
maintain a steady gaze, that is, neither look down nor look away from the person(s) you
are trying to convince; also, you must not exhibit eye flutter. In some cultures, including
Arabic, Latin American, and southern European cultures, individuals judge those who look
them in the eye as more honest and credible than those who do not. In American culture,
when others avoid meeting our eyes or avert their gaze, we are likely to assume that they
have something to hide, they lack confidence, or they are unknowledgeable on some
matter.

Gestures and Posture:

The Body in Motion and at Rest. We move and stand in distinctive ways—so distinctive that
often others can identify us by our characteristic walk or posture. The movements and
alignment of our body communicate. Although some of our body’s messages facilitate
effective person-to-person interaction, others—whether sent consciously or
unconsciously—impede it. What kinds of cues do different bodily movements send?
Cue Categories. Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen identify five categories of nonverbal
behavior that we can use to describe bodily cues: emblems, illustrators, regulators, affect
displays, and adaptors. We explore each in turn in the following:

HMKH/CUCBA/BC/NVC
PARALINGUISTICS: THE MESSAGES OF THE VOICE
The messages that you send with your voice are known as paralanguage. Often it is not what you
say but how you say it that determines an interaction’s outcome. We rely on vocal cues to help us
determine the real meaning of spoken words. Such cues are especially important when we are
deciding whether someone is being sarcastic. The words “Yeah, right” convey different meanings
depending on whether they are spoken sincerely or sarcastically, and our interpretation of these
words influences how we respond to the person who said them.

The tone of your voice can help you communicate what you mean to convey, or it can reveal
thoughts you mean to conceal. It can reinforce or negate the words you speak. The sound of your
voice communicates, revealing to others your emotional state, attitudes, personality, status, and
interaction maintenance, or turn-taking, needs. How you speak influences how others interpret
your intentions, as well as how credible, intelligent, or attractive they judge you to be.24 With this
in mind, respond to the following questions:

• Does my voice enhance or detract from the impression I make?

• Does my voice support or contradict my intended meaning?
• If I were interacting with me, would I want to listen to the sound of my voice?

Among the elements of paralanguage are pitch, volume, rate, articulation, pronunciation,
hesitations, and silence. Each plays a part in the impressions others form
Pitch. Pitch is the highness or lowness of the voice; it is similar to pitch on a musical scale. We
associate higher pitches with female voices and lower pitches with male voices. We also develop
vocal stereotypes. We associate low-pitched voices with strength, sexiness, and maturity, and high-
pitched voices with helplessness, tension, and nervousness. Although we each have a modal or
habitual pitch—one that we use most frequently when we speak—we also vary our pitch to reflect
our mood and interest in conversing. For example, we often lower our pitch when sad and raise it
when excited. In contrast, if we are bored, we may speak in a monotone that reflects our lack of
interest. A lively animated pitch encourages interaction, whereas a monotone discourages it.

Volume. The power of your voice, its loudness or volume, also affects perceptions of intended
meaning. While some whisper their way through encounters, others blast through them. An
individual who is typically loud may alienate others; such a person is often viewed as overbearing
or aggressive. In contrast, if you are soft-spoken, others may interpret your behavior as timidity.
Thus, your volume can over- or underwhelm, thereby causing others to turn you off in an effort to
turn you down or to lose interest in your words simply because they cannot Comfortably hear
them.
Effective Interpersonal Communicators Regulate Volume in an Effort to Promote Meaningful
Interaction. Your volume should reflect the nature of your message, the size and acoustics of the
space you are in, your proximity to the other person, and any competing noise or conversations.
Typically, we increase volume to stress particular words and ideas and to reflect the intensity of our
emotions. Similarly, a sudden decrease in volume can add suspense or sustain another’s attention.
Volume that is varied is most effective.
Rate. Speaking rate is the third vocal cue affecting the communication of meaning. Most of us speak
at an average rate of 150 words per minute. When we speed up our speech, exceeding 275 to 300
words per minute, it is difficult for others to comprehend what we are saying, and our message thus

HMKH/CUCBA/BC/NVC
becomes virtually unintelligible. In contrast, if we speak too slowly, others may perceive us as
tentative or lacking in confidence or intelligence. An overly deliberate speaking pace contributes to
boredom, lack of attentiveness, and unresponsiveness in others. Rate also affects others’ judgment
of our intensity and mood. As your rate increases, so do assessments of your level of emotional
intensity.25 When talking about more serious subjects, we often slow down; on the other hand, our
speaking rate usually accelerates as we shift to talking about lighter topics. In many ways, rate
reflects the pulse of your words. It quickens to relay agitation, excitement, and happiness, and it
falls to convey seriousness, serenity, or sadness.
Articulation and Pronunciation. The sound attributes of articulation and pronunciation affect
message intelligibility as well as perceptions of credibility. Articulation is the way you pronounce
individual sounds. Ideally, even during person-to-person contact, the sounds of your speech are
sharp and distinct. When you fail to utter a final sound (a final t or d, for example), fail to produce
the sounds of words properly, or voice a sound in an unclear, imprecise way (come wimme versus
come with me, dem versus them, idear versus idea), perceptions of your credibility drop.
Hesitations and Silence. Hesitations and silence are the final paralinguistic variables we will
consider here. Knowing when to pause is a critical skill. When nervous or tense, we may exhibit a
tendency to fill all pauses, often by inserting meaningless sounds or phrases such as uh, you know,
or okay in the effort to fill voids. These nonfluencies, or hesitation phenomena, disrupt the natural
flow of speech and adversely affect how others perceive your competence and confidence.

PROXEMICS: SPACE AND DISTANCE TALKS

Our use of space and distance also reveals how we feel about ourselves and what we think of
others. As with kinesics and paralinguistic, space and distance communicate.
Generally, we use physical proximity and distance to signal either desire to communicate or
disinterest in communicating. The closer we stand, the greater the chances are that we like one
another. Proximity or lack of it also indicates how dominant or submissive we are in a relationship.
The more dominant we feel, the more likely we are to move closer to another; in contrast, the more
submissive we feel, the less likely we are to decrease our interaction distance. Perceptions of
friendliness or unfriendliness and extroversion or introversion, as well as our privacy and social
contact needs, are also reflected in our spatial relationships. As we study how we use space and
distance to communicate, keep in mind that a gap may exist between the messages we intend to
send using space and distance and the messages that others actually receive and interpret.

The father of proxemics research, Edward T. Hall, coined the term proxemics to indicate that
“proximity” influences human interaction. The word itself refers to how we use the personal space
around us as we interact with others as well as how we structure the space around us in our homes,
offices, and communities (territory).26

Spatial Relationships: Near or Far. Hall identified four distances that distinguish the kinds of
interactions we have and the relationships we share during them (it should be noted that Hall’s
research involved only white Americans):
Intimate distance Contact to 18 inches

Personal distance 18 inches to 4 feet

HMKH/CUCBA/BC/NVC
 Social-consultative distance 4 to 12 feet

Public distance 12 feet to the limit of sight

Places and Their Spaces: Decoding the Environment. Three kinds of environmental space
concern us: fixed-feature space, semi-fixed-feature space, and informal space (see Table 6.5).29
Each affects communication in different ways.

Territoriality: Yours and Mine. Territoriality is another proxemics variable related to our use of
informal space. Each of us lays claim to, or identifies as our own, spatial areas that we seek to
protect or defend from intrusion. We devise various means to accomplish this, some more formal
than others: nameplates, fences, stone walls, assigned chairs, or signs that say things such as “My
Room.” While it may not be logical to claim certain spaces, it is typical. Think of how often you have
stopped someone from taking a specific seat, saying, “That’s my chair,” or “Don’t sit there—that’s
Dad’s seat.”

HAPTICS: TOUCH
In the discussion on proxemics, we noted that intimate space extends from the point of touch to 18
inches. Haptics, or touch, is usually involved in our closest relationships. While always part of
sexual communication, touch also plays a role in helping us develop closer relationships and is a
key ingredient in the establishment and maintenance of many of our personal relationships.
Touching signals the desire for closeness. As children we likely were introduced to various touching
no-no’s. For example, we might have been instructed to keep our hands to ourselves around
people—and not to touch when around breakable items. However, touch remains an important tool
in interpersonal communication, and the messages it communicates, as we shall see, are varied.

The amount of touching we do or find acceptable is, at least in part, culturally conditioned. As with
proxemics, a set of norms governs our use of touch. When others violate these norms, we may
experience discomfort. Although some cultures promote only limited touching, others promote
more frequent touch. Members belonging to a given culture generally conform to its established
norms. In the United States, for instance, it is more acceptable for women to touch each other than
it is for men to touch each other.30 Touch also correlates positively with openness, comfort with
relationships, and the ability to express feelings. Touch also helps us exert status or power in
relationships. People of higher status usually initiate touch. The amount of consensual touching two
people do indicates how much they like each other. Touch is part of relationship development and

HMKH/CUCBA/BC/NVC
is used as a guide to gauge the amount of intimacy desired. We touch those we like and try not to be
touched by those we dislike.

ARTIFACTUAL COMMUNICATION AND APPEARANCE

What clothing or jewelry do you like to wear? What do your appearance, hairstyle, and mode of
dress and personal adornments suggest to others about you? Do others find your bodily appearance
and attire pleasing and appropriate?34 And how does what you wear affect you?

Artifactual communication and appearance influence our reactions. In the early stages of a
relationship, what we wear and how we look affect first impressions and may even lead to our
being accepted or rejected. In addition, the clothing and jewelry we wear can cause others to form
judgments regarding our success, character, power, and competence. Typically, we respond more
positively to those we perceive to be well dressed than to those whose attire we find questionable
or unacceptable. In the past, Americans were more apt to respond to requests from well-dressed
individuals, including those in uniform, than they were to listen to or emulate individuals whose
dress suggested lower status or a lack of authority,35 but things may be changing.

OLFACTICS: SMELL

Who smells good to you? How good do you smell to others? Through the years, the desire to use
and appeal to the sense of smell or olfactics has spawned numerous industries offering products
such as perfumes and colognes, mouthwashes and deodorants, household disinfectants, scented
candles, and aromatherapy oils. Unlike the members of some cultures, Americans are into masking
their natural bodily odors, preferring to use smell as an attractor by substituting pleasant for
unpleasant smells in the effort to trigger emotional reactions, sexual arousal, romance, or
friendship. For example, women prefer men who smell similar to them.41 Gay men respond to
smell much as women do, and in ways that are distinct from those of heterosexual men.42

Smell and the recall of good and bad memories go hand in hand. When something bad happens, for
example, our sense of smell sharpens, as if going on high alert to warn us of impeding danger.43 Of
course, we also have good memories related to the presence of pleasing smells, such as freshly
baked cookies and flowers blooming.

COLOR: ASSOCIATIONS AND CONNECTIONS

Color talks both to and about us. The colors we surround ourselves with and the colors we wear
affect us both physically and emotionally. For example, research has found that when a person is
exposed to pure red for extended periods, the nervous system is excited, and blood pressure,
respiration rate, and heart rate rise. In contrast, when the person is similarly exposed to dark blue,
a calming effect occurs, and blood pressure, respiration, and heart rate fall.44 Color may help
compel us to move more quickly or slowly, help us relax, or cause us to become agitated. People
who regularly wear red tend to be more active, outgoing, and impatient than those who avoid the
color.
Fast-food chains, product marketers, department stores, and law enforcement agencies use our
predictable reactions to various colors as behavioral conditioners. For example, because the color
green encourages oral interaction, it is common practice for investigators to question suspects in
green rooms, or in rooms where the lighting is green. Of course, green also prompts ecological
associations. How marketers use color to target consumers is mentioned in the following table.

HMKH/CUCBA/BC/NVC
Colors do not evoke the same meanings in all cultures. For example, whereas in the United States
and European countries brides routinely wear white, in Asian countries white is the color of
mourning and so not considered suitable for weddings. In India, if a bride wears white, at least a
touch of another color is usually added. In Ghana blue signifies joy; in Iran it has negative
connotations. In the United States yellow suggests warning or fearfulness; in China it represents
wealth. Korean Buddhists reserve the color red for writing a person’s name upon his or her death.

CHRONEMICS: THE COMMUNICATIVE VALUE OF TIME

Chronemics is the study of how we use time to communicate. Some of us are preoccupied with
time, while others regularly waste it. Some of us are typically early, while others are chronically
late. Some of us approach life with a sense of urgency, while others prefer a more leisurely pace.
Some of us are early birds, functioning best in the morning, while others, night owls, perform best
at night.
Misunderstandings, miscalculations, and disagreements involving time can create communication
and relationship problems. What does it mean to be “on time”? How is the concept of punctuality
construed? To be “on time” for a job interview may be interpreted differently from what it means to
be “on time” for a cocktail party. The latter usually allows more flexibility.

We also structure time in an effort to ensure we accomplish needed tasks. How long we are willing
to wait to meet with someone or for something to occur is also a reflection of our status and the
value we place on what we are waiting for. Status affords us greater power to control both our own
time and others’ time. The more status a person has, the longer others with less status will wait to
see him or her

CLICK THIS TEXT TO GET ALL THE NOTES HMKH/CUCBA/BC/NVC