Nonverbal

Communication
Part 1

Christopher Gardner
Essential Question:
How and what do people
communicate without words?
Introducing Nonverbal
Communication
Introducing Nonverbal
Communication
● Nonverbal communication is defined as “anything people
communicate beyond the literal meaning of the words.”
○ (L. Dillman, L. Owens, & K. Peterfreund, 2009, p. 48)
● Communication without words is known as nonverbal
language.
○ Body language, appearance, and the sound of the
voice are the cues, or signals, of nonverbal
communication.
Introducing Nonverbal
Communication

● Accounts for 65-93

percent of the total
message.
○ (V. Richmond & J.
McCroskey, 1995, p.
2)
Nonverbal
Communication
Objectives

● To identify the five principles of nonverbal communication.

● To express emotions through body language.
● To identify and use paralanguage.
● To identify social situations that necessitate different
space requirements.
The Five Principles of
Nonverbal Communication
● May be ambiguous.
● Often interacts with
verbal communication.
● Can regulate interaction.
● May establish
relationship-level
meanings.
● Reflects cultural values.
Ambiguity
● “The quality of being open to more than one
interpretation; inexactness” (dictionary.com).
Nonverbal Communication
and Verbal Communication
● Repeating
○ Saying yes while nodding your head.
● Highlighting
○ Use inflection to emphasize certain words.
● Complementing
○ Reinforcing “Hello, I’m glad to see you!” with a smile.
● Contradicting
○ Saying: “Nothing’s wrong!” with a scowl on your face.
● Substituting
○ Rolling your eyes to indicate disapproval.
Nonverbal Communication
and Regulation of Interaction
● Nonverbal, more than
verbal, cues tell us when to
speak and when to keep
silent.
● We may do this by averting
our eyes or by increasing
our speaking volume and
rate.
Nonverbal Communication and
Relationship-Level Meanings
● Nonverbal communication
is often referred to as the
“relationship language”
because it so often
expresses how people feel
about one another.
Three Levels

● Power
○ To assert dominance
and to negotiate
status.
● Responsiveness
○ To show interest in
others.
● Liking
○ To reveal positive or
negative feelings.
Nonverbal Communication
and Cultural Values
● Norms for touching reflect cultural values.
● Examples:
○ The namaste, or wai, where the hands are in a praying
position, is the customary greeting in places like India and
Thailand.
○ In South Africa, a new arrival may observe porters at
airports holding out their hands in a cup-like fashion. They
are saying, “The gift you may give me for carrying your bags
will mean so much that I must hold it in two hands.” It is not
them begging for money or a handout.
■ (Axtell, 1998, p. 100)
Sources and References
● Axtell, R. E. (2001). Gestures: The dos and taboos of body language
around the world. New York, New York: Wiley.
● Dillman, L., Owens, L. L., & Peterfreund, K. (2009). Projects in
speech communication. Place of publication not identified:
Perfection Learning.
● Harden, L. Nonverbal Communication Part 1: PowerPoint.
● Richmond, V. P., & McCroskey, J. C. (1995). Nonverbal behavior in
interpersonal relations (3rd ed.). Needham Heights,
Massachusetts: Ally & Bacon.
● Verderber, R. F. (1999). Speech for effective communication.
Austin: Holt Rinehart and Winston.
Volunteers

● I need 5 volunteers to show the class the following things:

○ Repeating
○ Highlighting
○ Complement
○ Contradict
○ Substitute