Module 3

NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

• Effective communication takes into account
both the verbal and nonverbal aspects of
communication.
• Non-verbal communication refers to all
communication that occurs without the use of
words, spoken or written.
• It is concerned with body movements
(kinesics), space (proxemics), and vocal
(paralinguistic) features. It includes all
unwritten and unspoken messages, both
intentional and unintentional.
• Non-verbal cues, however, speak louder than
words, as even though speech can be made
up, bodily expressions can rarely be masked
well enough to hide one’s true feelings and
emotions.
NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION
• Personal appearances, facial expressions, postures, gestures, eye
contact, voice, proximity, and touch are all non-verbal signals that
influence the way in which a message is interpreted and understood.
Though they have a profound impact on the receivers, it is difficult to
analyse them accurately.
• This is because the interpretation of non-verbal cues is a very subjective
concept, varying based on people’s varied backgrounds (refer to
cross-cultural communication).
• Nevertheless, they must not be ignored, but recognized and understood as
correctly as possible.
KINESICS /kʌɪˈniːsɪks/
• Kinesics is the study of the body’s physical movements.
• It is the way the body communicates without words, i.e., through the various movements of its parts.
• Some kinesic behaviours are deliberate.
• For example, you nod your head to indicate acceptance.
• In face-to-face communication, the message is conveyed on two levels simultaneously. One is
verbal and the other is non-verbal.
• For example, suppose you are congratulating two of your friends on their successful interviews. If
you extend your hand to them with a big smile on your face along with the utterance, ‘Congrats’,
your appreciation has more impact on them than the word in isolation. Your smile and the
handshake are kinesics, which enhance the impact of your verbal communication.
• The non-verbal part of any communication is not as deliberate and conscious as the verbal part.
Rather, it is subtle and instinctive, and often involuntary. It is important to study body language
because it is estimated that the verbal component of oral communication carries less than 35 per
cent of the social meaning of the situation, while more than 65 per cent is attributed to body
language. People react strongly to what they see.
Body Language
• You cannot not communicate. You communicate just by being. Nodding your head, blinking your eyes,
shrugging shoulders, waving hands, and other such physical activities are all forms of
communication.’–Watzlawick and associates
• When a speaker presents himself/herself, we see him/her before we start hearing him/her.
• Immediately, we begin developing impressions of his/her abilities and attitudes based on the non-verbal
signals he/she sends. This is why body language is so critical in oral communication.
• Body language includes every aspect of our appearance, from what we wear, how we stand, look, and move,
to our facial expressions and physical habits, such as nodding the head, jingling change in the pocket, or
fiddling with a necktie. Our use of space and gestures are other key indicators
Personal appearance
• Personal appearance plays an important role; people see before they hear.
• Just like we adapt our language to the audience, we should also dress appropriately. Appearance
includes clothes, hair, accessories, cosmetics, and so on. Today, the purpose of clothing has
altered from fulfilling a basic need to expressing oneself. Clothes also accentuate the body’s
movements, and the choice of clothes reveals a lot about the wearer’s personality and attitude.
• Personal appearance must be so planned that it communicates effectively to others.
• Even before a speaker utters his/her first syllable the audience begins to form an opinion about him/
her and visualizes the way he/she is going to talk.
• One’s appearance may put the audience into a resistant or hostile attitude or induce in them a
receptive mood.
• To be clean and well groomed, conforming to the need of the occasion, is of utmost importance.
Appearances communicate how we feel about ourselves and how we want to be viewed.
Posture
• Posture generally refers to the way we hold ourselves when we stand, sit, or walk.
• There are four general human postures: standing, sitting, squatting, and lying down.
• One’s posture changes according to the situation.
• If nervous, one would normally be seen pacing, bobbing the shoulders, fidgeting with notes, jingling
coins, moving constantly, or staying glued to the ground.
• When we are with friends we are probably spontaneous. We are not conscious about our posture
and our physical movement is natural. But when we encounter an unfamiliar situation, we become
more conscious of our posture. For instance, during an oral presentation, stiff positions, such as
standing akimbo (with hands on hips and elbows pointing away from the body), send the message of
defiance or aggression. It is always better to lower the hands to one’s sides in a natural, relaxed,
and resting posture.
• Standing, sitting, or walking in a relaxed way is a positive posture, which will encourage questions
and discussion. Also being comfortably upright, squarely facing an audience, and evenly distributing
one’s weight are aspects of posture that communicate professionalism, confidence, attention to
detail, and organization. The way one sits, stands, or walks reveals a lot:
Posture
• • Slumped posture—low spirits
• • Erect posture—high spirits, energy, and
confidence
• • Lean forward—open, honest, and interested
• • Lean backward—defensive or disinterested
• • Crossed arms—defensive and not ready to
listen
• • Uncrossed arms—willingness to listen
Gesture
• Gesture is the movement made by hands, head, or face.
• Skillful and appropriate gestures can add to the impact of verbal communication. A
well-timed gesture not only drives a point home but also enhances the value of what is
being said. Similarly, an awkward gesture (like playing with a key chain or button) can mar
the effectiveness of the message.
• Gestures clarify our ideas or reinforce them and should be well suited to the audience and
occasion. Gestures are more numerous than any other form of non-verbal
communication, and the meanings attached to them are diverse. It has been observed
that there are as many as 700,000 varied hand gestures alone (Birdwhistell 1952), and
the meanings derived from them may vary from individual to individual.
• Gestures should not divert the attention of the listener from one’s message. They should
be quite natural and spontaneous. Be aware of and avoid irritating gestures such as
playing with a ring, twisting a key chain, clasping hands tightly, or cracking knuckles.
Gestures can roughly be divided into the following types:
Gesture
• Adaptors are touching behaviors and movements that indicate internal states typically related to anxiety.
Adaptors can be targeted toward the self, objects, or others. In regular social situations, adaptors result from
uneasiness, anxiety, or a general sense that we are not in control of our surroundings.
• Many of us subconsciously click pens, shake our legs, or engage in other adaptors during classes, meetings, or
while waiting as a way to do something with our excess energy.
• Public speaking students who watch video recordings of their speeches notice nonverbal adaptors that they
didn’t know they used.
• In public speaking situations, people most commonly use self- or object-focused adaptors. Common
self-touching behaviors like scratching, twirling hair, or fidgeting with fingers or hands are considered
self-adaptors.
• Some self-adaptors manifest internally, as coughs or throat-clearing sounds.
• My personal weakness is object adaptors. Specifically, I subconsciously gravitate toward metallic objects like
paper clips or staples holding my notes together and catch myself bending them or fidgeting with them while I’m
speaking.
• Other people play with dry-erase markers, their note cards, the change in their pockets, or the lectern while
speaking. Use of object adaptors can also signal boredom as people play with the straw in their drink or peel the
label off a bottle of beer.
• Smartphones have become common object adaptors, as people can fiddle with their phones to help ease
anxiety.
• Finally, as noted, other adaptors are more common in social situations than in public speaking situations given
the speaker’s distance from audience members. Other adaptors involve adjusting or grooming others, similar to
how primates like chimpanzees pick things off each other. It would definitely be strange for a speaker to
Gesture
• Emblems are gestures that have a specific agreed-on meaning.
These are still different from the signs used by hearing-impaired
people.
• A hitchhiker’s raised thumb, the “OK” sign with thumb and index
finger connected in a circle with the other three fingers sticking
up, and the raised middle finger are all examples of emblems
that have an agreed-on meaning or meanings with a culture.
• Emblems can be still or in motion; for example, circling the
index finger around at the side of your head says “He or she is
crazy,” or rolling your hands over and over in front of you says
“Move on.”
Gesture
• Illustrators are the most common type of gesture and are used
to illustrate the verbal message they accompany.
• For example, you might use hand gestures to indicate the size
or shape of an object. Unlike emblems, illustrators do not
typically have meaning on their own and are used more
subconsciously than emblems.
Gesture
• Gestures can roughly be divided into the
following types:
• • Enumerative—numbers
• • Descriptive—size of the objects
• • Symbolic—abstract concepts
• • Locative—location of an object
• • Emphatic—emphasis
Head Movements
• Head movements are often used to acknowledge others and communicate interest
or attentiveness.
• In terms of head movements, a head nod is a universal sign of acknowledgement
in cultures where the formal bow is no longer used as a greeting. In these cases,
the head nod essentially serves as an abbreviated bow.
• An innate and universal head movement is the headshake back and forth to signal
“no.” This nonverbal signal begins at birth, even before a baby has the ability to
know that it has a corresponding meaning. Babies shake their head from side to
side to reject their food and later shake their head to reject attempts to spoon-feed.
• This biologically based movement then sticks with us to be a recognizable signal
for “no.” We also move our head to indicate interest.
• For example, a head up typically indicates an engaged or neutral attitude, a head
tilt indicates interest and is an innate submission gesture that exposes the neck
and subconsciously makes people feel more trusting of us, and a head down
signals a negative or aggressive attitude.
Facial expression
• Along with postures and gestures, facial expressions also play an important part in non-verbal
communication. The face is the most expressive part of our body. A smile stands for friendliness, a
frown for discontent, raised eyebrows for disbelief, tightened jaw muscles for antagonism, etc.
Facial expressions are subtle. They can be used in a variety of ways to aid, inhibit, or complement
communication. The face rarely sends a single message at a time. Instead, it sends a series of
messages—facial expressions may show anxiety, recognition, hesitation, and pleasure in quick
succession.
• Facial expressions are difficult to interpret. Though there are only six basic expressions, there can
be many shades and blends of these. Also, people tend to hide their true feelings, and project
expressions that are appropriate according to the circumstances. The six basic facial expressions
are:
• • Happiness • Surprise
• • Disgust • Fear
• • Anger • Sadness
Facial expression
Eye contact/ oculesics /ɒcʊlɛsɪcs/
• Eyes are considered to be the windows of the soul. We look at the eyes of a speaker to find out the
truthfulness of his/her words, intelligence, attitudes, and feelings. Eye contact is a direct and
powerful form of non-verbal communication. We use our eyes to cull information. Eyes are also a
rich source of feedback.
• Looking directly at listeners builds rapport. Prolonging the eye contact for three to five seconds
(without, however, giving the impression of staring) tells the audience that the presenter is sincere in
what he/she says and that he/she wants us to pay attention. Eye contact is especially important
when we start a conversation.
• Our upper eyelids and eyebrows help us convey an intricate array of non-verbal messages. Arabs,
Latin Americans, and South Europeans look directly into the eyes. Asians and Africans maintain far
less eye contact. In the professional world one should make personal and pleasant eye contact with
the listeners. Eye contact shows one’s intensity and elicits a feeling of trust.
• A direct look conveys candour and openness. This direct and powerful form is a signal of
confidence or sincerity; therefore, experienced speakers maintain longer eye contact. The eyes
should convey the message, ‘I am pleased to talk to you, do believe in what I am saying?’
Eye contact/ oculesics /ɒcʊlɛsɪcs/
•We also communicate through eye behaviors, primarily
eye contact. While eye behaviors are often studied
under the category of kinesics, they have their own
branch of nonverbal studies called oculesics, which
comes from the Latin word oculus, meaning “eye.”
•Certain eye behaviors have become tied to personality
traits or emotional states, as illustrated in phrases like
“hungry eyes,” “evil eyes,”. To better understand
oculesics, we will discuss the characteristics and
functions of eye contact and pupil dilation.
Eye contact/ oculesics /ɒcʊlɛsɪcs/
• Eye contact serves several communicative functions ranging from
regulating interaction to monitoring interaction, to conveying
information, to establishing interpersonal connections.
• In terms of regulating communication, we use eye contact to signal to
others that we are ready to speak or we use it to cue others to speak.
• I’m sure we’ve all been in that awkward situation where a teacher
asks a question, no one else offers a response, and he or she looks
directly at us as if to say, “What do you think?” In that case, the
teacher’s eye contact is used to cue us to respond.
• Toward the end of our speaking turn, we make more direct eye
contact with our listener to indicate that we are finishing up.
• While listening, we tend to make more sustained eye contact, not
glancing away as regularly as we do while speaking
Eye contact/ oculesics /ɒcʊlɛsɪcs/
• Eye contact can also be used to intimidate others.
• We have social norms about how much eye contact we make with people, and those norms
vary depending on the setting and the person.
• Staring at another person in some contexts could communicate intimidation, while in other
contexts it could communicate flirtation.
• We can also use our eye contact to signal that we do not want to make a connection with
others. For example, in a public setting like an airport or a gym where people often make
small talk, we can avoid making eye contact with others to indicate that we do not want to
engage in small talk with strangers.
• Another person could use eye contact to try to coax you into speaking, though. For
example, when one person continues to stare at another person who is not reciprocating
eye contact, the person avoiding eye contact might eventually give in, become curious, or
become irritated and say, “Can I help you with something?”
• As you can see, eye contact sends and receives important communicative messages that
help us interpret others’ behaviors, convey information about our thoughts and feelings, and
facilitate or impede rapport or connection.
Pupil dilation
• Pupil dilation refers to the expansion and contraction of the black part of the center of our
eyes and is considered a biometric form of measurement; it is involuntary and therefore
seen as a valid and reliable form of data collection as opposed to self-reports on surveys or
interviews that can be biased or misleading.
• Our pupils dilate when there is a lack of lighting and contract when light is plentiful.
• Pain, attraction, anxiety/stress, and information processing (thinking) also affect pupil
dilation. For example, advertisers use pupil dilation as an indicator of consumer
preferences, assuming that more dilation indicates attraction to a product.
• In general, dilated pupils increase a person’s attractiveness. Even though we may not be
aware of this subtle nonverbal signal, we have social norms and practices that may be
subconsciously based on pupil dilation.
• Take for example the notion of mood lighting and the common practice of creating a
“romantic” ambiance with candlelight or the light from a fireplace. Softer and more indirect
light leads to pupil dilation, and although we intentionally manipulate lighting to create a
romantic ambiance, not to dilate our pupils, the dilated pupils are still subconsciously
perceived, which increases perceptions of attraction
Haptics
• Think of how touch has the power to comfort someone in moment of sorrow when
words alone cannot. This positive power of touch is countered by the potential for
touch to be threatening because of its connection to violence too.
• To learn about the power of touch, we turn to haptics, which refers to the study of
communication by touch.
• We probably get more explicit advice and instruction on how to use touch than any
other form of nonverbal communication.
• A lack of nonverbal communication competence related to touch could have
negative interpersonal consequences; for example, if we don’t follow the advice
we’ve been given about the importance of a firm handshake, a person might make
negative judgments about our confidence or credibility.
• A lack of competence could have more dire negative consequences, including
legal punishment, if we touch someone inappropriately (intentionally or
unintentionally).
• Touch is necessary for human social development, and it can be welcoming,
threatening, or persuasive.
Haptics
• There are several types of touch, including functional-professional, social-polite,
friendship-warmth, love-intimacy.
• At the functional-professional level, touch is related to a goal or part of a routine
professional interaction, which makes it less threatening and more expected. For example,
we let barbers, hairstylists, doctors, nurses, tattoo artists, and security screeners touch us in
ways that would otherwise be seen as intimate or inappropriate if not in a professional
context.
• At the social-polite level, socially sanctioned touching behaviors help initiate interactions
and show that others are included and respected. A handshake, a pat on the arm, and a pat
on the shoulder are examples of social-polite touching. A handshake is actually an
abbreviated hand-holding gesture, but we know that prolonged hand-holding would be
considered too intimate and therefore inappropriate at the functional-professional or
social-polite level.
• At the functional-professional and social-polite levels, touch still has interpersonal
implications. The touch, although professional and not intimate, between hair stylist and
client, or between nurse and patient, has the potential to be therapeutic and comforting.
• In addition, a social-polite touch exchange plays into initial impression formation, which can
have important implications for how an interaction and a relationship unfold.
Haptics
• Of course, touch is also important at more intimate levels.
• At the friendship-warmth level, touch is more important and more
ambiguous than at the social-polite level. At this level, touch interactions
are important because they serve a relational maintenance purpose and
communicate closeness, liking, care, and concern. The types of touching at
this level also vary greatly from more formal and ritualized to more intimate,
which means friends must sometimes negotiate their own comfort level with
various types of touch and may encounter some ambiguity if their
preferences don’t match up with their relational partner’s.
• In a friendship, for example, too much touch can signal romantic interest,
and too little touch can signal distance or unfriendliness.
• At the love-intimacy level, touch is more personal and is typically only
exchanged between significant others, such as best friends, close family
members, and romantic partners. Touching faces, holding hands, and full
frontal embraces are examples of touch at this level.
PROXEMICS /prɒkˈsiːmɪks/

• Proxemics is the study of physical space in interpersonal relations. Space is related to behavioural
norms.
• The way people use space says a lot about them. In a professional setting space is used to signal
power and status. For instance, the head of a company has a larger office than junior employees.
• Gestures should be in accordance with the space available. When there is plenty of space to
manoeuvre, one should move more boldly and expand one’s gestures. When seated at a table, one
should use milder gestures. One can even subtly reach out over the table to extend one’s space.
This expresses control and authority.
• It is possible to learn a great deal about how to manipulate space by watching dynamic and
influential speakers.
• Interestingly, like kinesics, proxemics also has cultural variations. Studies show that Americans,
unlike many other nationals, avoid close contact with one another in public places. Indians decide
the distance based on the relationship. They prefer to maintain distance with elders and a superior
person. However, with a friend they may maintain less distance.
PROXEMICS /prɒkˈsiːmɪks/
• We all have varying definitions of what our “personal space” is,
and these definitions are contextual and depend on the situation
and the relationship. Although our bubbles are invisible, people
are socialized into the norms of personal space within their
cultural group.
• In general, space influences how people communicate and
behave.
• Unexpected breaches of personal space can lead to negative
reactions, especially if we feel someone has violated our space
voluntarily, meaning that a crowding situation didn’t force them
into our space.
PROXEMICS /prɒkˈsiːmɪks/
PROXEMICS /prɒkˈsiːmɪks/
• Intimate This zone starts with personal touch and extends just to 18 inches (one and a
half feet).
• Members of the family, lovers, spouses, relatives, and parents fall under this zone. The
best relationship that describes it is the mother–child relationship. This zone does not
need active conversation. One can whisper or make unintelligible sounds but still be able
to communicate. Other individuals come close for a very brief period and only under
special circumstances— when they want to congratulate, sympathize, or console. A
handshake, a pat on the back, or a hug, all come into this zone.
• It is impossible to completely ignore people when they are in this space, even if we are
trying to pretend that we’re ignoring them. A breach of this space can be comforting in
some contexts and annoying or frightening in others.
• Being close to someone and feeling their physical presence can be very comforting when
words fail. There are also social norms regarding the amount of this type of closeness that
can be displayed in public, as some people get uncomfortable even seeing others
interacting in the intimate zone. While some people are comfortable engaging in or
watching others engage in PDAs (public displays of affection) others are not.
PROXEMICS /prɒkˈsiːmɪks/
• Personal This zone stretches from 18 inches (one and a half feet) to 4 feet.
• Close friends, colleagues, peers, etc. fall in this zone. Instead of whispering sounds or utter
silence, there can be normal conversation in this zone. Though this zone is personal, it is
quite a relaxed and casual place. It permits spontaneous and unplanned communication.
Sitting or standing so close brings one closer to the listener and gives the impression of
friendliness and warmth.
• This zone is broken up into two subzones, which helps us negotiate close interactions with
people we may not be close to interpersonally.
• The outer-personal zone extends from 2.5 feet to 4 feet and is useful for conversations that
need to be private but that occur between people who are not interpersonally close. This
zone allows for relatively intimate communication but doesn’t convey the intimacy that a
closer distance would, which can be beneficial in professional settings.
• The inner-personal zone extends from 1.5 feet to 2.5 feet and is a space reserved for
communication with people we are interpersonally close to or trying to get to know. In this
subzone, we can easily touch the other person as we talk to them, briefly placing a hand on
his or her arm or engaging in other light social touching that facilitates conversation,
self-disclosure, and feelings of closeness.
PROXEMICS /prɒkˈsiːmɪks/
• Social Social events take place in the radius of 4 feet to 12 feet.
• In this zone, relationships are more formal and official. People are more cautious in their
movements. These situations involve less emotion and more planning. The number of
people decides whether it should be a sitting– sitting or sitting–standing position. It is
through experience that one decides which position to take. If the number of people is
less and eye contact can be maintained, a sitting–sitting position can be used. To be
authoritative with a large audience, a sitting–standing position is used.
• Public This zone starts from 12 feet and may extend to 25 feet or to the range of eyesight
and hearing.
• Events that take place in this zone are formal. Here the audience views what is happening
as an impartial observer. The degree of detachment is very high. The audience is free to
do whatever it feels like. Here the speaker has to raise his/her voice to communicate to
others or use a microphone. Public figures like the prime minister of a country, for
example, have to maintain this distance for security reasons.
CHRONEMICS /krəˈnɛmɪks/

• Chronemics is the study of how human beings communicate through their use of time. How do We
communicate with others? What does time mean to us? In order to use time as an effective
communication tool, we should understand its impact on the various aspects of our lives and act
accordingly. We must attempt to use time as effectively as possible.
• In the professional world, time is a valuable resource. When we are late for an appointment, people
react negatively. If we arrive early, we are considered either over-eager or aggressive. So, we
should always be on time. By valuing someone else’s time, we communicate our professionalism or
seriousness both subtly and explicitly.
• People have their own time language. To one person who wakes up at 8:00 a.m., 6:30 a.m. may be
early; to another, 8:00 a.m. may be late if he/she wakes up at 5:00 a.m. every day!
• Time language also varies from culture to culture. In Latin countries, meetings usually begin well
after their appointed time. Everyone knows this. It is customary, and no one is offended by the
delay. In Scandinavia or Germany, on the other hand, strict punctuality is the rule, and tardiness is
frowned upon. In India, time language varies according to the occasion. Punctuality is expected for
a professional meeting, but it is not insisted upon for a party. People in India are generally liberal
with time.
CHRONEMICS /krəˈnɛmɪks/
• Time can be classified into several different categories, including
biological, personal, physical, and cultural time.
• Biological time refers to the rhythms of living things. Humans
follow a circadian rhythm, meaning that we are on a daily cycle that
influences when we eat, sleep, and wake.
• When our natural rhythms are disturbed, by all-nighters, jet lag, or
other scheduling abnormalities, our physical and mental health and
our communication competence and personal relationships can
suffer.
• Keep biological time in mind as you communicate with others.
Remember that early morning conversations and speeches may
require more preparation to get yourself awake enough to
communicate well and a more patient or energetic delivery to
accommodate others who may still be getting warmed up for their
day.
CHRONEMICS /krəˈnɛmɪks/
• Personal time refers to the ways in which individuals experience time. The
way we experience time varies based on our mood, our interest level, and
other factors.
• Think about how quickly time passes when you are interested in and
therefore engaged in something.
• I have taught ninety-minute classes that seemed to drag on forever and
three-hour classes that zipped by.
• Individuals also vary based on whether or not they are future or past
oriented.
• People with past-time orientations may want to reminisce about the past,
reunite with old friends, and put considerable time into preserving
memories and keepsakes in scrapbooks and photo albums.
• People with future-time orientations may spend the same amount of time
making career and personal plans, writing out to-do lists, or researching
future vacations, potential retirement spots, or what book they’re going to
read next.
CHRONEMICS /krəˈnɛmɪks/
• Physical time refers to the fixed cycles of days, years, and seasons.
Physical time, especially seasons, can affect our mood and psychological
states.
• Some people experience seasonal affective disorder that leads them to
experience emotional distress and anxiety during the changes of seasons,
primarily from warm and bright to dark and cold (summer to fall and winter).
• Cultural time refers to how a large group of people view time.
• Polychronic people do not view time as a linear progression that needs to
be divided into small units and scheduled in advance. Polychronic people
keep more flexible schedules and may engage in several activities at once.
• Monochronic people tend to schedule their time more rigidly and do one
thing at a time. A polychronic or monochronic orientation to time influences
our social realities and how we interact with others.
CHRONEMICS /krəˈnɛmɪks/
• Additionally, the way we use time depends in some ways on our
status.
• For example, doctors can make their patients wait for extended
periods of time, and executives and celebrities may run consistently
behind schedule, making others wait for them.
• Promptness and the amount of time that is socially acceptable for
lateness and waiting varies among individuals and contexts.
• Chronemics also covers the amount of time we spend talking.
• We’ve already learned that conversational turns and turn-taking
patterns are influenced by social norms and help our conversations
progress. We all know how annoying it can be when a person
dominates a conversation or when we can’t get a person to
contribute anything.
Vocalics/ Paralanguage
• Paralanguage refers to the vocalized but nonverbal parts of a
message.
• Vocalics is the study of paralanguage, which includes the vocal
qualities that go along with verbal messages, such as pitch,
volume, rate, vocal quality, and verbal fillers.
Pitch
• Pitch helps convey meaning, regulate conversational flow, and
communicate the intensity of a message.
• Even babies recognize a sentence with a higher pitched ending as a
question.
• We also learn that greetings have a rising emphasis and farewells
have falling emphasis. Of course, no one ever tells us these things
explicitly; we learn them through observation and practice. We do not
pick up on some more subtle and/or complex patterns of
paralanguage involving pitch until we are older.
• Children, for example, have a difficult time perceiving sarcasm, which
is usually conveyed through paralinguistic characteristics like pitch
and tone rather than the actual words being spoken.
Volume
• Paralanguage provides important context for the verbal content of
speech.
• For example, volume helps communicate intensity. A louder voice is
usually thought of as more intense, although a soft voice combined
with a certain tone and facial expression can be just as intense.
• We typically adjust our volume based on our setting, the distance
between people, and the relationship.
• In our age of computer-mediated communication, TYPING IN ALL
CAPS is usually seen as offensive, as it is equated with yelling.
• A voice at a low volume or a whisper can be very appropriate when
sending a covert message or flirting with a romantic partner, but it
wouldn’t enhance a person’s credibility if used during a professional
presentation.
Speaking rate
• Speaking rate refers to how fast or slow a person speaks and can lead
others to form impressions about our emotional state, credibility, and
intelligence.
• As with volume, variations in speaking rate can interfere with the ability of
others to receive and understand verbal messages.
• A slow speaker could bore others and lead their attention to wander.
• A fast speaker may be difficult to follow, and the fast delivery can actually
distract from the message.
• Speaking a little faster than the normal 120–150 words a minute, however,
can be beneficial, as people tend to find speakers whose rate is above
average more credible and intelligent.
• When speaking at a faster-than-normal rate, it is important that a speaker
also clearly articulate and pronounce his or her words.
Tone
• Our tone of voice can be controlled somewhat with pitch, volume, and
emphasis, but each voice has a distinct quality known as a vocal signature.
• Voices vary in terms of resonance, pitch, and tone, and some voices are
more pleasing than others.
• People typically find pleasing voices that employ vocal variety and are not
monotone, are lower pitched (particularly for males), and do not exhibit
particular regional accents. Many people perceive nasal voices negatively
and assign negative personality characteristics to them.
• Think about people who have very distinct voices. Whether they are a
public figure like PM, a celebrity like Snooki from the Jersey Shore, or a
fictional character like Peter Griffin from Family Guy, some people’s voices
stick with us and make a favorable or unfavorable impression.
Verbal fillers
• Verbal fillers are sounds that fill gaps in our speech as we
think about what to say next. They are considered a part of
nonverbal communication because they are not like typical
words that stand in for a specific meaning or meanings.
• Verbal fillers such as “um,” “uh,” “like,” and “ah” are common in
regular conversation and are not typically disruptive.
• The use of verbal fillers can help a person “keep the floor”
during a conversation if they need to pause for a moment to
think before continuing on with verbal communication.
• Verbal fillers in more formal settings, like a public speech, can
hurt a speaker’s credibility.