(2.1) How we communicate ?

1. Make your own definition of communication 2. Differentiate between human and non-human communication 3. Make a list of how humans communicate 4. Make a list of how non-humans communicate

Some definitions:
Verbal Communication: using spoken words to transmit and/or exchange/evoke shared understanding Non-Verbal Communication: using anything but spoken words to transmit and/or exchange/evoke shared understanding (eg. posture, gaze & gesture) Paralinguistics: features of vocal sound which embellish or emphasise meaning (eg. tone of voice)

Paralinguistics:
Tone: conveyed em0tion (eg. Angry voice) Emphasis: raising or lowering voice for a particular word Intonation (Inflection): modulation (variation) of sound (timbre) eg. whisper or shout

Communication: How important are the actual words?

Eye Contact Sound of voice:
Tone Emphasis Intonation

Facial Expression

Body Posture + The Situation

Hand Gestures Touch Personal Space + General Appearance

What have we left out?

The actual words!!!!!

Research suggests shared communication is about: 7% The words (verbal) 38% How you say it (vocal Inflections) 55% What you look like Appearance/gesture/gaze, posture (body language) and situational factors (attribution & context of interaction)

What else we do with our eyes: Eye Contact/Movement

When we speak face to face the following occurs with our eyes: The speaker looks away as they open speech The listener looks at the speakers eyes When speaker about to finish, they flash a glance and the roles reverse If process is interrupted (eg. dark glasses), then the conversation becomes disjointed Eyes control role taking turns in a conversation* (a similar process takes place on the phone using paralinguistics). Do AMRCs: Kendon (1967) & Argle (1968)
* This applies to both 1-2-1 and a group conversation

How do we use facial expression to embellish communication?

Do exercise supplied:

Face Expression adds an emotion to communication

Facial expression is a human universal (from birth, except Fear that comes from 6mths onwards) and therefore they are inherited not learned (nature vs nurture) The only other species are Primates Facial expressions involve many muscles and are involuntarily connected to how we really feel (we cant fake it!) A smile takes 17 muscles and a frown 47 muscles

Body Language
Some questions: Do these three all know each other? Are two of them together? How do you know?

We make a lot of assumptions based on body language and they are often correct!!!

Body Language
To communicate using our body Posture: Open, closed and mirror/echo Usually unconscious interaction, but experts can read and/or take advantage especially postural echo (put a person at ease) Some other interactions like/lie etc Do AMRC: McGinley (1975) + evaluation

Gestures and Touch

(gesticulation: to make gestures)

Watch a person on the telephone, why do they do this even if they cant be seen?

Some hand gestures work well without context or words!

Some gestures are rude or aggressive

Gestures and Touch (gesticulation: to

make gestures)

From the grid supplied suggest what these gestures might mean:

Then do AMRC Lyn & Mynier, 1993 (p32) + Evaluation

But beware there are crosscultural differences

What does this suggest: nature or nurture?...think universality

Touch to embellish communication

May I have this dance? A man will be more successful If he briefly touches the girls hand or arm while he asks!

Touch to embellish communication

Touch with hand or arm are a very powerful addition to communication Various types: controlled by proximity to intimate erogenous zones and culture (think of how you formally greet and how you greet friends and family etc)
Do AMRC p33: Fisher et al, (1976).. Evaluation consider inter/intra gender issues

Personal space
Consider a concept like personal space:
(Roughly half an arm, within an arm and over an arms length away)

Q) When speaking privately to you, what limit of

closeness to your face would you expect from the >1 m following?

1. An intimate friend 2. An acquaintance 3. A stranger

<0.5m <1 m

How do you feel if someone violates your social space? And consider age/gender (own/different)

Personal space
Do AMRCs (and evaluate): 1. Argyle and Dean (1965) p34 2. Willis (1966) p35 3. Williams (1971) p35

Personal space
Pavement/corridor avoidance strategies

What would you expect to happen if a male and female were approaching each other in a narrow corridor? (and think other combinations)

Personal space and culture/status

Some cultures stand much closer to talk they think we are Unfriendly Also status: the more respect the greater the distance Do AMRCs p36: Summer (1969) & Zahn (1991) and evaluate