Lecture 62.docx

Lecture 62.docx

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Lecture62

April21,2011

Lecture7

NonverbalCommunication

Communicationisnotsimplyamatterofspeaking,writingandhearing.Meaningsareconveyednotonlybywordsorverballanguagebutalsobynonverbalcommunicationsystems.Thesenonverbalcommunicationdevicesaccompanyverbalcommunicationtohelptoconveyinformation,especiallyemotionalinformation.

Ithasbeensuggestedthataconsiderableamountofinformationandmostoftheemotionalinformationareconveyedbynonverbalcommunicationsystems.

Definitionofnonverbalcommunication

Nonverbalcommunicationcanbedefinedindifferentways.Thebasicdefinitionshouldbelikethese:

Nonverbalcommunicationisthecommunicationwithouttheuseofsoundsandwords.

I.TheFormsofnonverbalcommunication

Time[Chronemics（时间学）]:

Thewayofusingtimeanditsmeaning

Space[Proxemics（空间学）]:

Thewayoftheuseofspaceanditsmeaning

Kinesics/bodylanguage:

Facialexpressions,bodymovement,gestures,…

Physicalappearance:

Studypeople’sskincolor,clothing…

Oculesics（目光学）:

Studytheinformationconveyedbyeyecontact,blinks,eyemovementsandpupildilation

Paralanguage/Vocalics（副语言）－studythesoundcomponentofnonlanguage.

II.Kinesics/bodylanguage

Languagestudiestraditionallyhaveemphasizedverbalandwrittenlanguage,butrecentlyhavebeguntoconsidercommunicationthattakesplacewithoutwords.Insometypesofcommunicationpeopleexpressmorenonverballythanverbally.

e.g.

Ifyouaskanobviouslydepressedperson,“what’swrong?

”,andheanswers,“Nothing,I’mfine,”youprobablywon’tbelievehim.

Whenanangrypersonsays,“Let’sforgetthissubject,Idon’twanttotalkaboutitanymore!

”youknowthathehasn’tstoppedcommunicating.Hissilenceandwithdrawalcontinuetoconveyemotionalmeaning.

OnestudydoneintheUnitedStatesshowedthatinthecommunicationofattitudes,93percentofthemessagewastransmittedbythetoneofvoiceandbyfacialexpressions,whereasonly7percentofthespeaker’sattitudewastransmittedbywords.Apparently,weexpressouremotionsandattitudesmorenonverballythanverbally.

Nonverbalcommunicationexpressesmeaningorfeelingwithoutwords.Universalemotions,suchashappiness,fear,andsadness,areexpressedinasimilarnonverbalwaythroughouttheworld.

Thereare,however,nonverbaldifferencesacrossculturesthatmaybeasourceofconfusionforforeigners.

e.g.

feelingsoffriendshipexisteverywherebuttheirexpressionvaries.Itmaybeacceptableinsomecountriesformentoembraceeachotherandforwomentoholdhands;inothercountriesthesedisplaysofaffectionmaybeshocking.

Whatisacceptableinoneculturemaybecompletelyunacceptableinanother.Oneculturemaydeterminethatsnappingfingerstocallawaiterisappropriate;anothermayconsiderthisgesturerude.Weareoftennotawareofhowgesture,facialexpressions,eyecontact,andtheuseofspaceaffectcommunication.Inordertocorrectlyinterpretanotherculture’sstyleofcommunication,itisnecessarytostudythe“silentlanguage”ofthatculture.

III.Gestures

Gesturesrefertospecificbodymovementsthatcarrymeanings.Handscanformshapesthatconveymanymeanings:

“stop,”“comehere,”and“It’sOK”andsoon.Manyideascanbeexpressednonverballyusingonlyhands.Thegesturesforthesephrasesmaydifferamongcultures.Aschildrenweimitateandlearnthesenonverbalmovementsandoftenusethemtoaccompanyorreplacewords.Whentravelingtoanothercountry,foreignvisitorssoonlearnthatnotallgesturesareuniversal.

e.g.

The“OK”gestureintheAmericancultureisasymbolformoneyinJapan.ThesamegestureisobsceneordirtyinsomeLatinAmericancountries.（ThisiswhytheeditorsofaLatinAmericannewspaperenjoyedpublishingapictureofformerpresidentNixongivingtheOKsymbolwithbothhands!

）

Introductionofsomecommongestures:

（showsomepicures）

…

IV.FacialExpressions

Facialexpressionscarrymeaningsdeterminedbycontextsandrelationships.

Forinstance,thesmile,whichistypicallyanexpressionofpleasure,hasmanyfunctions.Awoman’ssmileatapolicemanwhoisabouttogiveheraticketdoesnotcarrythesamemeaningasthesmileshegivestoayoungman.Asmilemayshowaffection,conveypoliteness,ordisguisetruefeelings.Painisconveyedbyagrimace（痛苦状）,whichalsosignifiesdisgustordisapproval.

Surprise,shock,ordisbeliefcanbeshownbyraisingtheeyebrows.Awinkgiventoafriendmaymean“youandIhaveasecret”or“I’mjustkidding.”Betweenamanandawoman,awinkcanbeflirtatious（挑逗，调情）.Ourfaceseasilyrevealemotionsandattitudes.

Thedegreeoffacialexpressivenessalsovariesamongindividualsandcultures.Thefactthatmembersofoneculturedonotexpresstheiremotionsasopenlyasmembersofanotherdoesnotmeantheydonotexperienceemotions.Rather,thereareculturalrestrainontheamountofnonverbalexpressivenesspermitted.

Becauseofindividualdifferences,itisdifficulttomakegeneralizationsaboutaculturalstyleofcommunication.Americansexpressthemselvesfaciallyinvaryingdegrees.PeoplefromcertainethnicbackgroundsintheUnitedStatesmayusetheirhands,bodies,andfacesmorethanotherAmericans.

Therearenofixedrules,althoughitisconsiderednegativeorsuspicioustohavea“deadpan”expressionora“pokerface.”

Somepeoplecanbe“readlikeabook”;othersaredifficulttoread.

EyeContact

Eyecontactisimportantbecauseinsufficientorexcessiveeyecontactmaycreatecommunicationbarriers.Itisimportantinrelationshipsbecauseitservestoshowintimacy,attention,andinfluence.Aswithfacialexpressions,therearenospecificrulesgoverningeyebehaviorexceptthatitisconsideredrudetostare,especiallyatstrangers.

Itis,however,commonfortwostrangerstowalktowardeachother,makeeyecontact,smileandperhapsevensay“Hi.”Thestrangersmayimmediatelylookawayandforgetthattheyevenhadanycontact.Thistypeofglancedoesnotmeanmuch;itissimplyawayofacknowledginganotherperson’spresence.

Inaconversationtoolittleeyecontactmaybeseennegativelybecauseitconveyslackofinterest,inattention,orevenmistrust.Therelationshipbetweenmistrustandlackofeyecontactisstateddirectlyintheexpression,“Nevertrustapersonwhocan’tlookyouintheeyes.”

V.Space

Unconsciously,weallcarrywithuswhathavebeencalled“bodybubbles.”Thesebubblesarelikeinvisiblewallswhichdefineourpersonalspace.

Theamountofspacechangesdependingontheinterpersonalrelationship.

e.g.

weareusuallymorecomfortablestandingclosertofamilymembersthantostrangers.Personalityalsodeterminesthesizeofthisspace.Introverts（性格内向者）oftenprefertointeractwithothersatagreaterdistancethanextroverts（性格外向者）.

Culturalstylesareimportanttoo.AJapaneseemployerandemployeeusuallystandfartherapartwhiletalkingthantheirAmericancounterparts.LatinAmericansandArabstendtostandclosertogetherthanAmericanswhentalking.

ForAmericans,distanceinsocialconversationisaboutanarm’slengthtofourfeet.LessspaceintheAmericanculturemaybeassociatedwithgreaterintimacyoraggressivebehavior.Thecommonpracticeofsaying“Excuseme,”or‘Pardonme”fortheslightestaccidentaltouchingofanotherpersonrevealsanAmericanattitudeaboutpersonalspace.Thuswhenaperson’s“space”isintrudeduponbysomeone,heorshemayfeelthreatenedandreactdefensively.Incultureswhereclosephysicalcontactisacceptableanddesirable,Americansmaybeperceivedascoldanddistant.

Culturedoesnotalwaysdeterminethemessagesthatourbodymovementsconvey.Contexts,personalities,andrelationshipsalsoinfluencethem.

Therefore,notwopeopleinanyonesocietyhavethesamenonverbalbehavior.

However,likeverballanguage,nonverbalcommunicationcannotbecompletelyseparatedfromculture.

Whetherweemphasizedifferencesorsimilarities,the“silentlanguage”ismuchlouderthanitfirstappears.

Questions:

1.Whatisnonverbalcommunication?

2.Whatis“bodybubbles”?

3.Whatdoes“pokerface”mean？