Chapter 06 The Messages of__ Action_ space_ time_

Chapter06TheMessagesofAction,Space,Time,andSilence1.TheimportanceofnonverbalcommunicationAccordingtothetextbook,nonverbalcommunicationisimportantforfivereasons.Whatarethey?1)Many,andsometimesmost,ofthecriticalmeaningsgeneratedinhumanencountersareelicitedbytouch,glance,vocalnuance,gestures,orfacialexpressionwithorwithouttheaidofwords;2)Peopleusetheactionsofotherstolearnabouttheiraffectiveoremotionalstates;3)Itisusuallyresponsibleforfirstimpressions;4)Manyofournonverbalactionsarenoteasilycontrolledconsciously;5)Agreatdealofnonverbalbehaviorspeaksauniversallanguage.2.DefiningnonverbalcommunicationLikethetermsofcultureandcommunication,therearemanydefinitionsaboutnonverbalcommunication.Whatisthedefinitioninthistextbook?Seep.149.Thisdefinitiondealswiththefollowingaspects:1)markingtheboundariesofnonverbalcommunication(“nonverbalstimuli”insteadofverbalones);2)reflectinghowtheprocessactuallyworks(thenonverbalstimuli“aregeneratedbyboththesourceandhisorheruseoftheenvironment”.)3)includingunintentionalaswellasintentionalbehaviorinthetotalcommunication.Butthenonverbalstimulialso“havepotentialmessagevalueforthesourceorreceiver,”becausepeoplesendnonverbalmessageswithouteverbeingawarethattheyhavemeaningforotherpeople.e.g.a.frowningintothesunandmakingsomeonebelievewearemad,b.leavingsomeshampooinourhairandhavingsomeonethinkwelooksilly,andc.accidentallybrushingupagainstsomeoneandmakingthatpersonthinkweareflirting(arousingsexualinterest;Showingloveorsexualdesire).Alltheseexamplesarepotentialmessages.3.Functionsofnonverbalcommunication1)repeatingWordsarefollowedbynonverbalactions,whichhavethesamemeaningasthewords.Thenonverbalmessageisusedtoreinforcethemeaningofthewords.2)complementingComplementinggenerallyaddsmoreinformationtomessages.Forexample,yousay“I’mpleasedwithyourperformance”totheperformer.Atthesametimeyoupathimontheshoulder.Yourpattingaccentswhatyousay.3)substitutingSubstitutingmeansperformingsomeactioninsteadofspeaking.4)regulatingRegulatingmeansmanagingcommunicationbyusingsomeformofnonverbalbehavior.5)contradictingContradictingmeansthatsignalssentthroughnonverbalactionsareoppositetothemeaningscontainedintheverbalmessages.4.Nonverbalcommunication:guidelineandlimitationsThreeproblemsrelatedtothestudyofnonverbalcommunication:1)individualdifferences.Wearemorethanourculture,andwearenotallalikewhenitcomestovalues,attitudes,beliefs,andnonverbalcommunication.2)makingthedifferencesmoreimportantthantheyreallyare.3)forgettingthatnonverbalbehaviorsseldomoccurinisolation.5.NonverbalcommunicationandcultureNonverbalmessagescanbedividedintotwotypes(p.153):1)Thecategoriesthatareprimarilyproducedbythebody(appearance,movement,facialexpressions,eyecontact,touch,smell,andparalanguage);2)Thecategoriesthattheindividualcombineswiththesetting(space,time,andsilence)5.1Bodybehavior5.1.1Generalappearanceanddress1)Concernwithhowoneappearsisuniversal.Butthestandardsweapplyandjudgmentswemakearesubjecttoculturalinterpretations.IntheUSA,tallandslenderwomenareregardedasattractive,butinJapan,diminutivewomenarethemostattractive.InChina,accordingtothebook,womenwithsimplehairstylesthroughself-decorationsuchascolorfulscarves,jewelry,ormakeupareattractive.2)Clothingreflectsaculture’svalueorientation.ModestyishighlyvaluedamongArabs,soMuslingirlsusuallywearscarvestocovertheirheads.Germansneedtodresscorrectlybecausevaluesarerelatedtostatusandauthority.FortheSpanish,becausedresshasdenotedsocialstatus,peopleofhighstatuswearasuitandtieinveryhotweather.InJapantheproclivityforconservativedressstylesandcolorreflectstheJapanesecollectivism.5.1.2Bodymovement:KinesicsKinesicsisthestudyofhowmovementcommunicates.Kinesicmessagesarethoseabout(1)—(3)onp.155.AccordingtoDodd,kinesicsreferstogestures,facialexpressions,eyecontact,bodypositions,bodymovement,andformsofgreetingandtheirrelationtocommunication.5.1.3Posturea.Examplesofposture:TheJapanesebow.Thefollowingarethebowingritual:(a)Thepersonwhooccupiesthelowerstationbeginsthebow,andhisorherbowmustbedeeperthantheotherperson’s.(b)Thesuperiordetermineswhenthebowingistoend.(c)Whentheparticipantsareoftheequalrank,theybeginthebowinthesamemannerandendatthesametime.ThewaimovementofThaipeopleisusedtoshowrespect:Pressingbothhandsclosetogetherinfrontofone’sbody,withthefingertipsreachingtoaboutnecklevel.Americansoftenfallintochairsorslouchwhentheystand.TheGermansandtheSwedishregardslouchingasasignofrudenessandpoormanners.InTurkey,puttingone’shandsintoone’spocketsisasignofdisrespect.b.ThesittingmannerInGhanaandinTurkey,sittingwithone’slegscrossedinextremelyoffensive.InThailand,thefeetshouldneverbepointedinthedirectionofanotherperson.5.1.4Gestures1)Handgesture20commonhandgestureshaveadifferentmeaningineachculture.Thehandgestureofmakingacirclewithone’sthumbandindexfingerwhileextendingtheothershasthemeaningsofthefollowingindifferentcultures:a.OKintheUSAb.MoneyinJapanandKoreac.Extremehostility(withabaringofteeth)d.VulgarconnotationinMexicoandGermanye.“I’llkillyou”inTunisiaHandgesturesdependonculturalbackground:a.Italians,RussiansandLatinAmer