Chapter 6

Nonverbal Communication: The Messages of Action, Space, Time, and Silence

In the United States people greet by shaking hands. Arab men often greet by
kissing on both checks. In Japan, men greet by bowing, and in Mexico they often
embrace. Touching ones ear is protection against the evil eye in Turkey. In southern
Italy, it denotes jeering at effeminacy, and in India it is a sign of repentance or
sincerity. In most Middle and Far Eastern countries, pointing with the index finger is
considered impolite. In Thailand, to signal another person to come near, one moves
the fingers hack and forth with the palm clown. In the United States, you beckon
someone to come by holding the palm up and moving the fingers toward your body.
In Vietnam that same motion is reserved for someone attempting to summon their
dog. The Tongans sit down in the presence of superiors; in the West, you stand up.
Crossing ones legs in the United States is often a sign of being relaxed; in Korea, it is
a social taboo. In Japan, gifts are usually exchanged with both hands. Muslims
consider the left hand uncle-in and do not eat or pass objects with it. Buddha
maintained that great insights arrived during moments of silence. In the United States,
people tall: to arrive at the truth.
The above examples were off red for two reasons. First, we hoped to are use
your interest in nonverbal communication. Second, we wanted to demonstrate that
although much of nonverbal communication is universal, many of your nonverbal
actions are touched and altered by culture. Hence, this chapter looks at the various
ways culture and nonverbal communication work in tandem.
THE IMPORTANCE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
To appreciate the importance of nonverbal communication to human
interaction, reflect for a moment on the countless times in a single day that you send
and receive nonverbal messages when in the presence of other people. Barnlund
highlights some of the reasons why this form of communication is important to the
study of intercultural communication:

Many, and sometimes most, of the critical meanings generated in human

encounters are elicited by touch, glance, vocal nuance, gestures, or facial
expression with or without the aid of words. From the moment of recognition
until the moment of separation, people observe each other with all their sense,
hearing pause and intonation, attending to dress and carriage, observing
glance and facial tension, as well as noting word choice and syntax. Every
harmony and disharmony of signals guides the interpretation of passing mood
or enduring attribute. Out of the evaluation cit kinetic, vocal and verbal cues,
decisions are made to argue or agree, to laugh or blush, ti relax or resist, to
continue or cut off conversation.
Judging Internal States
Barnlund is stating that consciously and unconsciously, intentionally and
unintentionaly people make important judgments and decisions concerning the
internal states of othersstates they often express without words. For example, you
evaluate the quality of your relationships according to interpretations of the nonverbal
messages. Nonverbal communication is a powerful tool for expressing your
emotional and relational feelings toward another person. From tone of voice, to the
distance between you and your partners, to the amount of touching in which you
engage, you can gather clues to the closeness of your relationships. Nonverbal
communication is so subtle that a shifting of body zones can also send a message.
The List time you move from holding hands with your partner to touching his or her
face, you are sending a message, and that message takes on added significance if your
touch is returned.
If you observe someone with a clenched fist and a grim expression, you do
not need words in tell von that this person is not happy. If you hear someones voice
quaver and see his or her hands tremble, you may infer that the person is fearful or
anxious, despite what he or she might say. Your emotions are reflected in your
posture, face, and eyes be it fear, joy, anger, or sadness so you can express them
without ever tittering a word For this reason, most people rely heavily on what they

earn through their eyes. In fact, research indicates that you will believe nonverbal
messages instead of verbal messages when the two contradict each other. As
Hereclitus remarked over two thousand years ago, Eyes are more accurate witnesses
than ears.
First Impressions
Nonverbal communication is important in human interaction because it is
usually responsible for first impressions. In fact, in most instances nonverbal
messages arrive before the verbal. Think for a moment of how often your first
judgments are based on the color of a persons skin, facial expression, manner of
dress, or if he or she is in a wheelchair. More importantly, those initial messages
usually influence the perception of