Nonverbal communication. Prof.ssa Ernestina Giudici 1

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1 Nonverbal communication 1

2 NVC roots n It is more instinctive and natural than verbal communication (less intentional control) n It constitutes a kind of body language which is basically universal 2

3 Cultural perspective What is shown on ones face is written in culture n NVC is learned during childhood like languages n It differs from one culture to another, from gesture systems to facial expressions n Places emphasis on differentiation (unique and exclusively non verbal forms) 3

4 Connection between NVC and VC n The communicational act is created by the sender and interpreted by the recipient on the bases of a multiplicity of systems of meanings and signals n Each system (NVC and VC) produces a specific meaning 4

5 n Phenomenons of non verbal communication (NVC): Prosodic and paralinguistic voice qualities Kinesics system Facial expressions The way you look at someone The look Gestures 5

6 Vocal system

7 Vocal system n The voice: meanings that go beyond words n When pronouncing a word prosodic and paralinguistic aspects are associated to the intonation, the tone, rhythm and intensity n The phonopoietic act is the synthesis of verbal and nonverbal aspects 7

8 Parts of vocal communication n The voice is comprised of various phenomenon and vocal processes: Reflexes (cough, etc.), vocal characterizations (laughter, crying, etc.), and vocalizations ( full pauses ) Extra-linguistic characteristics: organic and phonetics Paralinguistic characteristics (together with acoustic properties) 8

9 Paralinguistic characteristics n Parameters: Tone (pitch profile) Intensity (voice volume) Time: duration, speech speed (n. of syllables including pauses), articulation speed (n. of syllables excluding pauses), the pause (full pause = use of mhm, ehm, etc; empty pause = silent time) 9

10 Phonopoietic Act n Vocal verbal section n Vocal nonverbal sections 10

11 Vocal verbal section n Pronunciation of a word or phrase (phonology) n Vocabulary (lexicon and semantics) n Grammar (morphology and syntax) n Prosodic profile (conclusive, interrogative, exclamation tone, etc.) n Prominence (emphatic importance or stress of an element) 11

12 Vocal nonverbal sections n Factors influencing the human being voice quality Biological (sex, age) Social (culture, place of geographic origin, occupation) Personality (permanent psychological traits) Temporary psychological traits (emotional experience, cognitive situation of certainty or doubt, etc.) 12

13 The voice of emotions Each emotion has its own exact and distinctive vocal profile n Encoding phase: analysis and measurement of acoustic elements of vocal expression n Decoding phase: the recipient s ability to recognize the emotional state of the speaker taking only the vocal characteristics into account 13

14 Encoding n Anger: increasing the intensity of the voice, short or absent pauses, enhanced rhythm, frequent changes of intonation n Fear: speed of the articulation rhythm; very high intensity of the voice; thin, tense, and sharp voice (feeling powerless in front of a threat) 14

15 Encoding n Unhappiness: low tone; long pauses; lessened rhythm of articulation; relaxed and sharp voice n Joy: very pitched tone and progressive intonation profile; increasing intensity and, sometimes, quickening of articulation rhythm 15

16 Encoding n Contempt: very slow articulation of syllables and sustained phrase duration; rich voice pitch; full intensity n Tenderness: regular rhythm; deep tones and linear intonation profile; volume basically low, broad and relaxed voice 16

17 Decoding n Average accuracy of acknowledgement equal to 60% n Easier to understand the negative emotional vocal expressions than the positive ones (reason: survival instincts make you recognise the perception of danger ) 17

18 Silence

19 n Lack of words Silence n Strategic way to communicate n Its meaning changes with situations, relationships and culture of reference n The value of silence is determined by its ambiguity 19

20 Positive or negative communicative silence values n Emotional ties (can connect on the basis of a deep emotional experience or separate with hostility and hate) n Evaluation function (can show agreement and approval or bring disagreement and disapproval) 20

21 Positive or negative communicative silence value n Understanding process (can show something to someone or it can be an opaque barrier for specific information n Activation function (can show a strong mental concentration or report a mental dispersion) 21

22 Silence rules n Complex set of social standards that manage silence n Generally it is associated with: Social situations wherein the relationship between the participants is unclear, not much is known, it s vague or equivocal Social situations wherein there is a known and asymmetric distribution of social power between the participants 22

23 Culture and silence n Western culture (individualistic): quick succession of tones in words, the latency period of pauses are very short Silence = threat, absence of cooperation to managing the conversation 23

24 Culture and silence n Eastern culture (collectivist): long pauses of silence between one intervention and another, because of signals of reflexivity and judgement Silence = marker of trust, familiarity, harmony and agreement 24

25 Kinesics system

26 Kinesics system n It is comprised by the movements of the body, face and eyes Movements determine the production and transmission of meanings 26

27 Kinesics system n Components: Facial expressions The look Gestures 27

28 Facial expressions n The face expresses: a specific mental state, emotional experience, interpersonal behaviour of a person n The face is the most important part of the body that attracts the attention and interest of the interlocutor 28

29 La mimica facciale 29

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31 Emotional perspective and communicational perspective Emotional perspective n Facial expressions have a dominant emotional value because they appear immediately, are instinctive and unintentional of emotions and are managed by specific and defined neuromotor programs 31

32 La mimica facciale 32

33 Communicational perspective n Facial expressions have a communicational value because they show to others what the person s purpose is with reference to the context n By these means it is possible to identify a social value: in other words messages sent to others and as such they perform a communicational function 33

34 In the communicational perspective it is essential to take into account the context Expressions regarded in isolation are difficult to interpret and may generate several misinterpretations 34

35 The smile n Ekman has detected 19 different forms of smiles. Among those: Spontaneous smile (or Duchenne smile): involves the face as a whole Fake smile: only puts the cheekbone muscles of the lower part of the face into action Miserable smile: the expression of the lower part of the face is extended; it means accepting a condition of unpleasant necessity 35

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37 The smile n According to Darwin and Ekman the smile is an expression, which is more or less intense, of joy n New research (Fernandez-Dols) stated that smiling does not have any nexus with emotions, but it is strictly connected with social interaction 37

38 The smile n It is the developer of relational affinity (it is useful to establish and maintain a friendly, stable relationship) n It is a regulator of social relations (its frequency and intensity are managed by social power and genre) 38

39 The look n The ocular contact (or reciprocal look) increases the nervous activation n The look is an essential element to starting any interpersonal relationship 39

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41 Look and personal image management n The person that looks at the partner shows greater general expertise in terms of intelligence and social impact, plausibility and reliability, trust and sincerity 41

42 Look and personal image management n The look is useful to govern the relationship of proximity or distance among other people n Promotes cooperation n It is a strong signal to ask for and obtain consensus at its own standpoint 42

43 Looks and emotions n Correlation looks-emotions: Positive emotions: increase of ocular contact Negative emotions: looking down and distortion of eye contact 43

44 Look and genre contrast n Feminine mode: expressive and relational nature n Masculine mode: informative and instrumental nature 44

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46 The stare n A prolonged and enduring look that is impossible to ignore In particular situations it may have a value of threat and danger It is typical of seductive situations People that have power tend to hold their look for longer Cultural differences 46

47 The gestures n Organized and limited motor actions n They aim to create a meaning n Are addressed to one interlocutor to reach a specific purpose n The set of gestures put together are also called body language, even though they mainly involve the hands 47

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49 n Gesticulation Kinds of gestures go with the action of speaking and are strictly related with speech change with reference to shape, space and length are poorly formal 49

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51 Kinds of gestures n Symbols (or symbolic signs) Are notably formal and encoded By custom, they are made from a distance due to a lack of language Express ideas that can also be said using words 51

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53 Kinds of gestures n The language of gestures Sign language used by the deaf Has the properties of a language It is completely formal inside the community of users 53

54 Gestures and words n Are an integral part of speech n Can add some useful meaning to words n When the speaker stops speaking, all the connected gestures also stop 54

55 Gestures and culture n Curiosity, but not only that: Gesture of mano a borsa n unknown in United Kingdom n has the meaning of question and perplexity in Southern Italy n means good in Greece n slowly in Tunisia n fear in Southern France n very good in some Arabian communities 55