chapter 3 - Pearson Learning Solutions

More documents

Recommendations

Info

2009934667 Chapter 3 Nonverbal Communication 67 without our even knowing it. For example, when the pupils of our eyes are dilated, we may appear friendlier, warmer, and more attractive. A person’s eye blinks have an effect on how he or she is perceived by others. For example, the slowness or rapidity of eye blinks can indicate nervousness. The normal blink rate for someone speaking is 31 to 50 blinks per minute. During the first presidential debate in 1996 between President Clinton and his Republican opponent, Bob Dole, polls indicated that Mr. Dole was considered to be very nervous. A review of the videotapes of the debate revealed that he had averaged 147 eye blinks per minute, almost three times the normal rate. 37 A theory known as pupilometrics indicates that pupils dilate when the eyes are focused on a pleasurable object and contract when focused on an unpleasurable one. 38 Enlarged pupils signify interest, and contracted pupils reflect boredom. Thus, knowledgeable teachers often watch the pupils of their students’ eyes to ascertain their interest in a particular lesson. The idea of wide-eyed wonder and interest is not new. In the late eighteenth century, European women placed a drug called belladonna in their eyes to keep their pupils large in order to make them look both interested and interesting. Members of different social classes, generations, ethnic groups, and cultures use their eyes differently to express messages. European Americans often complain that they feel some foreigners stare at them too intensely or hold a glance too long. This is because a gaze of longer than ten seconds is likely to induce discomfort in a European American. But lengthy eye contact may be comfortable as long as the communicating people have sufficient distance between them. As you walk down a corridor, notice that you can look at someone for a long period of time until you suddenly feel uncomfortable and glance away. This usually happens at a distance of about ten feet. When individuals in the European American culture are intent on hiding an inner feeling, they may try to avoid eye contact. Thus, the child who has eaten forbidden candy will not look at a questioning parent during the interrogation. (European American children are often told, “Look me in the eye and say that.”) People in many cultures are very aware of the part played by eyes in communicating. This awareness has led some to try to mask their eyes. “Since people can’t control the responses of their eyes,” reported one source, “many Arabs wear dark glasses, even indoors.” 39 This is especially true if they are negotiating. Thus, in addition to watching a person’s actions, an astute observer may ascertain what that person is doing by watching his eyes. For example, when 90 percent of people look up and to the left, they are recalling a visual memory they have experienced. Eyes up and to the right picture a future thought. 40 Gestics Gestics is the study of the movements of the body, such as gestures, which can give clues about a person’s status, mood, cultural affiliations, and selfperception. Why do people gesture when they talk? A study indicates that speech and gesturing function together and may help us think and form words. 41 In addition, gesturing helps people retrieve words from memory. “When asked to keep their hands still by holding onto a bar, people had a more difficult time recalling words than those whose hands were free.” 42 Nods of the head and body shifts can encourage or discourage conversation. Other movements may show internal feelings. For example, those who are bored may tap their fingers on a table or bounce a crossed leg. As people attempt to communicate, they use gestures. These gestures may be classified as speech independent or speech related. Speech-independent gestures are not tied to speech. These gestures are referred to as emblems. 43 Speech-related Communicating: A Social and Career Focus, Tenth Edition, by Roy M. Berko, Andrew D. Wolvin, and Darlyn R. Wolvin. Published by Allyn & Bacon. Copyright © 2007 by <strong>Pearson</strong> Education, Inc.
68 Part One Foundations of Communication gestures are directly tied to, or accompany, speech. 44 These gestures are illustrators, affect displays, regulators, and adaptors. Emblems are nonverbal acts that have a direct verbal translation or dictionary definition consisting of one or two words. 45 The sign language of the deaf, gestures used by behind-the-scenes television personnel, and signals between two underwater swimmers are all examples of the use of emblems. It is important to realize that not all emblems are universal. In fact, they tend to be culture specific, meaning that an emblem’s meaning in one culture may not be the same as that same emblem’s meaning in another. For example, in Hong Kong, a diner signals a waiter for the check by making a writing motion with both hands. Extending the index finger and motioning toward yourself, as is done for calling a waiter in many parts of the United States, is used only for calling animals in Hong Kong. 46 Illustrators are “kinesic acts accompanying speech that are used to aid in the description of what is being said or trace the direction of speech.” 47 They are used to sketch a path, point to an object, or show spatial relationships. Saying, “Josh, please stand up (point at Josh and bring your hand upward), go out the door (point at the door), turn to the left (point to the left), and walk straight ahead (point straight ahead)” is an example of a cluster of illustrators. Affect displays are facial gestures that show emotions and feelings, such as sadness or happiness. Pouting, winking, and raising or lowering the eyelids and eyebrows are examples of affect displays. Different people and cultures tend to use facial expressions in different ways. For example, many European American males mask and internalize their facial expressions because they have been taught that to show emotion is not manly; Italian males, however, express their emotions outwardly. 48 Regulators are nonverbal acts that maintain and control the back-and-forth nature of speaking and listening between two or more people. Nods of the head, eye movements, and body shifts are all regulators used to encourage or discourage conversation. Imagine, for example, a conversation between a department manager and an employee who has asked for a raise. The manager glances at her watch, her fingers fidget with the telephone, and she glances through some materials on the desk. The manager’s regulator signs indicate that she views the transaction as completed. Adaptors are movements that accompany boredom, show internal feelings, or regulate a situation. People who are waiting for someone who is late, for example, often stand with their arms crossed, fingers tapping on upper arms, foot tapping the pavement, and checking the time every few seconds. Haptics Haptics is the study of the use of touch as communication. Touch is defined as the physical placing of a part of one person’s body on another’s body, such as putting your hand on another person’s shoulder. This may be done with or without permission. Your skin is a receiver of communication: pats, pinches, strokes, slaps, punches, shakes, and kisses all convey meaning. A doctor touches your body to ascertain sensitivity and possible illness. You shake hands to satisfy social and business welcoming needs. You intimately touch through kisses and use sexually arousing touch in the act of lovemaking. The messages that touch communicates depend on how, where, and by whom you are touched. The importance of touch is well documented. Many people find that when they are upset, they rub their hands together or stroke a part of their body, such as the arm. We reassure others by touching them on the shoulder or patting them on the hand. “Touched and massaged babies gain weight much faster than unmassaged babies. They are more active, alert, responsive, better able to tolerate noise, and emotionally are more in control.” 49 Communicating: A Social and Career Focus, Tenth Edition, by Roy M. Berko, Andrew D. Wolvin, and Darlyn R. Wolvin. Published by Allyn & Bacon. Copyright © 2007 by <strong>Pearson</strong> Education, Inc. 2009934667
Page 1 and 2: chapter 3 Nonverbal Communication
Page 3 and 4: 58 Part One Foundations of Communic
Page 11: 66 Part One Foundations of Communic

chapter 3 - Pearson Learning Solutions

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?