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2009934667 Chapter 3 Nonverbal Communication 57 o you believe that when you communicate with another person, your words carry the majority of the meaning of the message? If you answered yes, you are mistaken. There has long been an awareness that it is possible to communicate a great deal even without using verbal language. We also are aware that nonverbal acts are symbolic acts closely connected to any talk in progress. They don’t merely reveal information; they represent meaning. 1 “Nonverbal communication is a major force in our lives.” 2 Nonverbal behaviors such as smiling, crying, pointing, caressing, and staring appear to be used and understood the world over. 3 Nonverbal communication is composed of “all those messages that people exchange beyond the words themselves.” 4 We have interpreted body talk, perhaps without knowing we were doing so, but only in recent years have attempts been made to analyze and explain nonverbal communication in a scientific manner. Research has established that nonverbal language is an important means of expression. Experts in the field have identified patterns of body language usage through the study of films and videotapes and through direct observation. Nonverbal acts seem to have three key characteristics: they are sensitive to the relationship between the sender and receiver; they have meaning based on their context (the communicators, the setting, and the purpose of the communication); and they are part of, not a separate entity from, verbal communication. 5 D Because the study of nonverbal communication is more recent than the study of verbal communication, we do not yet have a dictionary of its terms or a thorough understanding of the process involved. But attempts are underway to apply the information that has been collected. One such attempt, known as neurolinguistic programming, has been developed to codify and synthesize research on nonverbal communication with that of other fields of communication, including cybernetics (the study of how the human brain processes information) and language study. Traditionally, experts tend to agree that nonverbal communication itself carries the impact of a message. “The figure most cited to support this claim is 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. Few of us realize how much we depend on nonverbal communication to encourage and discourage conversations and transactions.
58 Part One Foundations of Communication the estimate that 93 percent of all meaning in a social situation comes from nonverbal information, while only 7 percent comes from verbal information.” 6 The figure is deceiving, however. 7 It is based on two 1976 studies that compared vocal cues with facial cues. 8 While other studies have not supported the 93 percent, it is agreed that both children and adults rely more on nonverbal cues than on verbal cues in interpreting the messages of others. 9 In the effort to read nonverbal communication, we must remember that no one signal carries much meaning. Instead, such factors as gestures, posture, eye contact, clothing styles, and movement must all be regarded together. This grouping of factors is called a cluster. We also must remember that, just as in verbal communication, nonverbal signs can have many different meanings. For example, crossing the arms over the chest may suggest that a person is cold. But crossed arms accompanied by erect posture, tightened body muscles, setting of the jaw, and narrowing of the eyes would likely indicate anger. A person’s background and past pattern of behavior also must be considered when we analyze nonverbal communication. The relationship between current and past patterns of behavior, as well as the harmony between verbal and nonverbal communication, is termed congruency. When you say to a friend, “You don’t look well today,” you are basing your statement on an evaluation of the person’s appearance today compared with her appearance in the past. In other words, something has changed, and you have become aware of a difference. If you did not have experience to draw on, you would not have noticed the change. Few of us realize how much we depend on nonverbal communication to encourage and discourage conversations and transactions. For instance, we consciously wave at waiters and raise our hands to get a teacher’s attention. Much of our opening and closing of channels, however, occurs without our consciously realizing it. As you observe people conversing, you notice that they may indicate they are listening by moving their heads. If they agree with what is said, they may nod affirmatively. They may also smile to show pleasure or agreement. If, however, they glance several times at their watch, look away from the speaker, cross and uncross their legs, and stand up, they are probably signaling that they have closed the channel and wish to end the transaction. Sources of Nonverbal Signs We learn to read words through a step-by-step process in which we are taught to use our written oral and reading forms of communication. But how do we acquire nonverbal signs? There are two basic sources: innate neurological programs and behaviors common to a culture or a family. Neurological Programs Innate neurological programs are those automatic nonverbal reactions to stimuli with which we are born. These nonverbal “automatic reactions” are reflexive because of neurological drives. These reflexive drives seem to be tied to our need drives. For example, we blink our eyes automatically when we hear a loud noise (survival drive) or when a pebble hits the windshield of the car we are driving (survival and territorial drive). Our stomach muscles tighten and our hands sweat when we feel insecure (security drive). 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
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