Interpersonal Communication- A Mindful Approach to Relationships, 2020a

you.
Often when discussing eye behavior, researchers refer to “gaze.” Research consistently demonstrates
that females gaze at interaction partners more frequently than males. 12,13,14 Also, gaze has been studied
concerning deception. Early research determined the significance of eye contact in the interpretation
behavior. When people gaze too long or for too little, there is likely to be a negative interpretation of
this behavior. 15 However, later researchers acknowledge that there is a much greater range of acceptable
“gazing” as influenced by verbal communication.
Gestures
Kinesics serve multiple functions when communicating—such as emblems, illustrators, affect displays, and
regulators.
Emblems
Many gestures are emblems. You may recall from earlier in the chapter that gestures are clear and
unambiguous and have a verbal equivalent in a given culture. 16 Only a handful of emblematic gestures
seem to be universal, for example, a shrug of the shoulders to indicate “I don’t know.” Most emblems
are culturally determined, and they can get you into difficulty if you use them in other countries. In the
United States, some emblematic gestures are the thumb-up-and-out hitchhiking sign, the circled thumb
and index finger Ok sign, and the “V” for victory sign. However, be careful of using these gestures outside
the United States. The thumb-up sign in Iran, for example, is an obscene gesture, and our Ok sign has
sexual connotations in Ethiopia and Mexico. 17
Illustrators
While emblems can be used as direct substitutions for words, illustrators help emphasize or explain a
word. Recall the Smashmouth lyric in All Star: “She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her
thumb in the shape of an L on her forehead.” The “L” gesture is often used to illustrate “loser.”
Affect Displays
Affect displays show feelings and emotions. Consider how music and sports fans show enthusiasm. It is
not uncommon to see grown men and women jumping up and down at sports events during a particularly
exciting moment in a game. However, there are different norms depending on the sport. It would simply
be inappropriate to demonstrate the same nonverbal gestures at a golf or tennis game as a football game.
Regulators
Regulators, as discussed earlier, are gestures that help coordinate the flow of conversation, such as when
you shrug your shoulders or wink. Head nods, eye contact/aversion, hand movements, and changes in
posture are considered to be turn-taking cues in conversation. Individuals may sit back when listening but
shift forward to indicate a desire to speak. Eye contact shifts frequently during a conversation to indicate
listening or a desire to speak. Head nods are used as a sign of listening and often indicate that the speaker
should continue speaking.
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