Chapter 6, part 2

Nonverbal Communication

Attractiveness

Elective characteristics – physical characteristics you can control (clothes, makeup, piercings, etc)

Nonelective characteristics – you cannot change (height, body proportion, etc)

Which do you think is perceived as more credible?

Clothing

Very important to nonverbal communication because it is often the first impression you make

Function: protection, sexual attraction, self-assertion, group identification, etc

Clothing

Clothing

Uniforms – identification; may show rank; little choice

Occupational dress – more choice than uniform; expected to wear; present specific image

Clothing

Leisure – chosen by the individual; can show more of your personal identity

Costumes – highly individualized; pretending to be something or someone you are not in real life

Body Adornment

Any addition to the physical body design to beautify or decorate

Changeable with time as to what is acceptable

Space and Distance

Proxemics; looks at the way people use the space around them to communicate or to avoid communication

Territory – the space that people considers to BELONG to the

Rules are different in every culture

Space and Distance

Intimate space – in direct contact with each other; feel uncomfortable when space is invaded

Personal distance – distance in a casual conversation

Social distance – distance you keep with those you are not familiar with

Public distance – public speaking

Touch

Haptics; physical contact with othersAcceptability changes with culturesWho is okay to touch in public? How?

This is colored by culture, your thoughts, experiences

Touch

Functional-professional: impersonalSocial-polite: greeting; handshakeFriendship-warmth: between friends;

liking each otherLove-intimacy: more intense intimate

relationships; lovers, parents to kidsSexual arousal: expression of physical

attraction

Smell

Olfactics – the study of smellAdaptation – the more you smell

something, you become more used to it; it may not bother you as much as someone who is smelling for the first time

Maps /experiences of smells determine how you feel about it

Time

Chronemics – the study of timeTime is very important to the American

culture; differs for all culturesTime can be used for psychological

effects; if you are always late, what message are you setting?

The higher status you have, the more control over time you have

Functions of Nonverbal Communication

1. Compliment – adds to verbal meaning

2. Regulate – ending / beginning conversation

3. Substitute for verbal

4. Accent verbals with tone, speed, etc

Often nonverbals are difficult to control.

The Internet and Nonverbal Communication

Social presence – the ability of the CMC user to project themselves socially and to show emotion and feeling

How does the degree of intimacy differ between face-to-face and CMC?

Media richness – how much information is carried by the media (can it carry emotion? tone? Etc)