Module 10.6 – Nonverbal Cultural Issues

Module Introduction

Communication isn’t just what you say; it is also how you say it.  A large part of our communication interactions with others is nonverbal.   Cultural nonverbal differences abound.

            There are a number of different categories of nonverbal behavior.   They each provide contextual information that helps us interpret the messages that we receive in any communication interaction.   Each carries with it a wide variety of intercultural implications.

• Physical Appearance and dress
• Proxemics or the personal space and territory we create for ourselves
• Touch
• Time
• Gesture, Posture, and Body Movement
• Tone of Voice
• Face and Eye Behavior

1. Overview

            It is through our perception that we receive stimuli and information about the world around us.  Those perceptions form a system that allows us to abstract and categorize our experiences and to make sense out of them. 

As humans we label our experiences and our perceptions.  Then, we tend to respond to the labels themselves, not to the actual experience.  For example think of what color you see here, not what the word says: GREEN

Most people read the word “green,” rather than actually perceiving the color red.  That is how powerful labels are.

The labels are the symbols we use to communicate with one another.  Symbols—words—form the basis for our communication interactions in any setting, whether it is with family or friends, with acquaintances or strangers, or on the job.

People are not the only creatures that communicate. If you’ve ever watched a long line of ants trooping along your kitchen counter to a sugar bowl someone left out, heard cats “discussing” who has first access to the food dish, or seen a school of fish swim and turn in the choreographed perfection that even professional dance troops can only dream of, you realize that all creatures communicate. The ability of our vocal chords to form so many different sounds, and the ways our brains are wired to let us develop complex thoughts and express them in symbols—or words—let us communicate better than and different from any other creature. 

            Communication scholar, Julia Wood, points out that: “symbols are arbitrary, ambiguous, and abstract ways of representing other things.”   Words are symbols and thus their meanings are not obvious or indisputable. 

2. Defining Nonverbal Communication

Communication isn’t just what you say; it is also how you say it.  A large part of our communication interactions with other is nonverbal.  “Please shut to door,” said in a pleasant tone is a very different message from “Please shut to door,” said in a nasty, sarcastic tone. 

            You might not say anything to a coworker as you rush pass each other in the hall as you are both going to different meetings, but you do smile and wave.  You will wear certain clothes to come to a typical day at work, but very different attire for the organization picnic.  All of these messages carry information from their nonverbal cues.

            Communication scholars, Virginia Richmond and James McCroskey, suggest several myths about nonverbal communication; here are five of those myths that are important to note:

• Myth 1: Nonverbal communication explains most of the communication in human interactions.  The reality is that the meaning we interpret from messages comes from both their verbal and nonverbal aspects—and the interaction of the two.
• Myth 2: You can read a person like a book.  The reality is that nonverbal cues do not have an arbitrary meaning like words do.  We saw that with words, the interpretation of meaning can vary widely from person to person.  That is even more true with nonverbal cues, which are not symbolic in nature.
• Myth 3: If someone does not look you in the eye, they are lying.  The reality is that people can have idiosyncratic behavior when it comes to nonverbal cues.  Also, different cultures have very different interpretations of nonverbal behavior.  In the United States it is often believed that people are lying if they don’t look you in the eye while you are talking.  Other cultures, however, often teach that it is very rude to look an elder or a person of higher status in the eye while you are talking.

3. Defining Nonverbal Communication (Continued)

• Myth 4: Specific nonverbal cues mean the same thing from culture to culture.  The reality as we saw in the example from the Myth 3 is that the same cue can mean different things and be interpreted differently from culture to culture to culture.  People from one culture may learn very different nonverbal behaviors from people in other cultures. 
• Myth 5: Nonverbal cues arouse the same meanings in different situations.  The reality, again, is that nonverbal cues do not have meaning in and of themselves.  They do provide context to the verbal messages we send and are in turn influenced by the context in which the cues occur. 

Verbal communication is symbolic and arbitrary.  Nonverbal communication is not symbolic.  However, all communication—verbal and nonverbal—is in code. It is helpful to know how these codes developed. Communication researchers Paul Eckman and Wallace Friesen say there are three primary types of codes:

1. Intrinsic: We are all born with a certain amount of behavior hardwired into us in much the same way that some computers procedures are hardwired into the motherboards. This is how animals intrinsically know how to communicate with others of their species. When they are born, they know how to signal that they are hungry. They know how to make friends, mate, raise their offspring, cooperate with others in their group, find and establish their place in the pecking order, and protect themselves and their group from enemies.  Unlike words and language, intrinsic codes cannot be changed to have different meanings—they always mean the same thing.  The mating ritual of birds fluffing their feathers is an example of intrinsic coding.  It is invariant; that is, it is always a mating ritual.  One bird can’t “tell” another that tomorrow the feather fluffing will mean something different.

4. Defining Nonverbal Communication (Continued)

2. Iconic: These are the symbols and gestures animals—and humans—use to show they are hungry, or angry, or interested in mating. It is also used to deceive. Certain birds and animals will pretend to be lame to lead possible predators away from their nests. Researchers say some young, male elephant seals will act like females so they can enter an established harem and breed with the females there.
3. Arbitrary: This is the code—symbols or words—that we create. As we saw earlier in this module, there is no inherent connection between a word or symbol and the thing it represents.

Immediacy, Arousal, and Dominance

            According to psychologist Albert Mehrabian, there are three ways to interpret nonverbal communication: immediacy, arousal, and dominance:

            Immediacy: These cues communicate our likes and dislikes, even the degree of each. We tend to move closer to people and things we like, and pull back or shy away from those we’d rather avoid, or that upset us.

Arousal. This shows how interested we really are. We speak in animated voice, expression, and gestures when we are interested in someone or something. When bored, however, it’s just the opposite. Our voice becomes flat, our expression blank, and our gestures tend to disappear.

Dominance. This is how we show—and acknowledge—rank and position. The way we stand, talk, and move shows what we perceive our status to and relationship with the person or people we are talking to.

Do keep in mind that while all cultures show immediacy, arousal, and dominance through nonverbal cues, each does so in a different way.  The specific cues used to show these feelings will differ from culture to culture.

5. Categories of Nonverbal Behavior

            There are a number of different categories of nonverbal behavior.   They each provide contextual information that helps us interpret the messages that we receive in any communication interaction.  Each carries with it a wide variety of intercultural implications.

• Physical Appearance and Dress: Physical appearance cues include physical attractiveness (the interpretation of which differs from culture to culture), body size and shape, facial features, height and weight, hair, skin color, clothing and other objects we wear.
• Proxemics: The personal space and territory we create for ourselves.  This can include how close we feel comfortable when communicating to others to the size and location of our office.  Personal space needs and interpretations vary widely in different cultures.
• Touch: How we touch one another and how we feel about that touch.  Some cultures feel very comfortable with a great deal of touch between individuals, even if they don’t know each other well, whereas other cultures feel that touch should be reserved only for intimate relationships.
• Time: How we view time and time related events.  Some culture are obsessed with being “on time,” while others find time a much less compelling concept.
• Gesture, Posture, and Body Movement: How we use our hands and bodies when we interact with others.
• Tone of Voice: The use of the voice and vocal behavior to add richness and feeling to the meaning of our words.
• Face and Eye Behavior: The use of facial expression and eye behavior that is especially important in communicating feelings to others.

6. Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Behavior: Physical Appearance and Dress; Gesture and Movement

Physical Appearance and Dress

            As we have seen, nonverbal cues as well as language are strong determinants of culture.  Both physical appearance and dress are also indicators of culture.  When we see someone in a kimono, or a sulu, or a kilt, or a sari, we get clues about their cultural membership. 

We often interpret skin color and facial features as providing us cultural clues as well.  In many cases, while we may be able to obtain some information, about membership in a subculture, we need to be careful.  With all of the immigration and movement of people around the world, we might not be able to tell very much from a person’s skin color and feature other than their ancestry.

Gesture and Movement

            Certain gestures are actually arbitrary.  They are called “emblems” and have the same symbolic nature as words do.  Emblems can be thought of in the same way as words.  Like words, their meanings are not universal.  For example the thumb and first finger forming a circle means O.K. in the United states and many European countries, but means money in Japan.

            Most gestures and body movement are not symbolic, however.  These nonverbal cues do not exist in isolation.  They do add richness and context to the interaction, but don’t have meaning in and of themselves.  People in many cultures use their hands a great deal while talking to illustrate and amplify what they are talking about; their movements and gestures are very active.  People from other cultures tend to use their hands much less while talking; they tend to be more nonverbally “silent.”

7. Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Behavior: Touch

            Touch tends to be affective in nature and can convey many different things; that is, touch generally conveys some type of feeling we have toward others.  Among other things, touch can let other people know that we like them; it can let others know who has power or status in a given situation; it can give solace; touch can express a wide range of emotions. 

Psychologist Richard Heslin has proposed five categories of touch, depending on the situation and the nature of the relationship between the people involved:

• Functional-Professional Touch: This type of touch is performed to fulfill a task.  A doctor touching a patient, a barber touching a action sponsor/beneficiary, a nurse touching a child to administer a shot or take a temperature are all examples of functional-professional touch.  This type of touch is typically lacking any affect and usually is not meant, tacitly or explicitly, to carry a message. 
• Social-Polite Touch: This type of touch is formal in nature and is generally limited to ritual behavior like greeting leave taking.  It is often among project/programme purpose associated or between people who are superficially acquainted or between strangers.  There is seldom, if ever any intimacy involved, but rather the touch reflects a sense of cordiality.  A handshake is a typical example of social-polite touch.
• Friendship-Warmth: This type of touch conveys caring and concern between people who have relationships that are deeper than mere acquaintances, but not intimate.  These relationships might include extended family members, friends, and even work mates.  Friendship-warmth touch might be exhibited by putting an arm around a friend who has just lost a loved one.

8. Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Behavior: Touch (Continued)

• Love-Intimacy: This type of touch is reserved for close family members and intimate friends.  It conveys deep caring and affection between the people in the relationship.
• Sexual-Arousal: This type of touch occurs in erotic-sexual interactions.

Human growth is dependent upon touch.  Infants and young children do not develop properly, either physically or emotionally, when they are deprived of touch.  Yet, touch differences among cultures is vast. 

Some cultures use touch as an everyday part of interaction.   These are high contact cultures, including Southern European countries like Italy and Spain, Latin American countries, and Middle Eastern countries.  These cultures exhibit a great deal of touch, even between strangers.  Other cultures reserve touch mainly only for intimate relationships.  These are low contact cultures, including Northern European countries, Asian countries, and North America.  In these cultures there is very little touch exhibited in public.

Sidney Jourard studied touch between couple in restaurants.  He found more touch between couples in Puerto Rico, an average of about 180 times per hour, and Paris, an average of about 110 times per hour than in Florida, an average of about 2 times per hour, and London, an average of 0 times per hour.

Psychologist Janice Gibson conducted a study in the United States, Greece, and Russia to explore touch between children between 2 and 5 years old and their caregivers.  Touch rates were similar in all three countries by the caregivers for retrieving or punishing the children.   When it came to touches for soothing, holding, or play, the caregivers in the United States had significantly less contact than those in the other cultures.

9. Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Behavior: Space and Territory

Personal Space

            When we are interacting with other people we establish a comfortable distance between them and ourselves even though we are not usually aware of that.   If someone gets too close or stays too far away, we generally feel anxious and distressed.  If they get too close, we might also think of the other person as being too forward and aggressive.  If they stay too far away, we might think of them as cold and aloof.

Just as with touch, the way people establish personal space differs from culture to culture.  The tendency is that people from high contact culture feel more comfortable with less distance between themselves and others when they are interacting, while people from low contact cultures fell more comfortable with greater distance. 

Territory

            Territory is the physical or geographic space we call our own.   It might be our home or a room in college dormitory or hostel or our desk at the office or any physical space we think of as ours.   We have a tendency to protect and defend our territory, but as with all nonverbal behaviors, there are numerous cultural differences.

            Some cultures are more protective of their territory—are more territorial—than are others.  People from cultures that feel more comfortable with greater personal space when interacting tend to be more territorial as well.

            Different cultures also have different reaction to an invasion of their territory.  People from some cultures tend to react through flight.  They avoid confrontation.  People from other cultures tend to erect barriers or other markers to keep others away.  People from other cultures tend to fight.  They attempt to defend their territory.

10. Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Behavior: Time

            One of the areas where cultures differ the most is in their use and perception of time and time-related events.  Some of the most important aspects of how we perceive time are punctuality, urgency, and tangibility.

How do people in a culture view time?  Does time carry with it a sense of urgency or is there a more relaxed attitude toward time?  Most northern European cultures, North America, and Japan place great emphasis on being punctual; it is important to be on time.  Other cultures like those in southern Europe, Central and South America, and South Asia have a much more casual perspective on punctuality.

In some countries where there are cultural differences, there might even be some confusion about the nature of time.  In Fiji, for example, if you make an appointment with someone, they will ask if it is European time (which means you get to the appointment pretty much at the time you set for the appointment) or Fiji time (which means that you may whenever you want to; that might mean that you could arrive quite a bit late—or perhaps not at all).  In fact when a Fijian was once asked if Fiji time was like the Latin America notion of maņana, he replied, “Sort of, but it doesn’t carry the same sense of urgency.”

Another aspect of time that can lead to misunderstanding is whether a culture sees time as monochromic or polychronic.  For a culture that views time as monochromic, time is seen as tangible; only one thing can be done at any one time.  People in these cultures tend to be driven by time, strict scheduling, and punctuality.

            People in cultures that view time as polychronic feel that more than one thing can be done at any time.  Schedules and appointments do not carry the same sense of importance as they do in monochromic cultures.  It is not even unusual that more than one project/programme purpose appointment will be set at the same time.  It is no surprise that difficulties occur around time and schedule when people from monochromic and polychronic cultures interact.

Assignments

Matching the Columns

Answers:

1.)    E

2.)    C

3.)    A

4.)    D

5.)    F

6.)    B

Multiple-Choice (2)

1.          Communication is

a.       Verbal

b.      Nonverbal

c.       Both of the above

d.      None of the above

2.          Those behaviors we are born with are

            a.   Intrinsic codes

            b.   Iconic codes

            c.   Arbitrary codes

            d.   All of the above

3.          Symbols we use to show we are hungry or angry are

             a.   Intrinsic codes

             b.   Iconic codes

             c.   Arbitrary codes

             d.   All of the above

4.          Symbols we create are

            a.   Intrinsic codes

            b.   Iconic codes

            c.   Arbitrary codes

            d.   All of the above

5.          These cues communicate our likes and dislikes.

            a.   Immediacy

            b.   Arousal

            c.   Dominance

            d.   All of the above

6.          This is how we show rank and position.

            a.   Immediacy

            b.   Arousal

            c.   Dominance

            d.   All of the above

7.          We interpret nonverbal communication through

            a.   Immediacy

            b.   Arousal

            c.   Dominance

            d.   All of the above

8.                               These cues show how interested we really are.

a.   Immediacy

            b.   Arousal

            c.   Dominance

            d.   All of the above

Summary

Communication isn’t just what you say; it is also how you say it.  A large part of our communication interactions with other is nonverbal.   Cultural nonverbal differences abound.

            There are a number of different categories of nonverbal behavior.  They each provide contextual information that helps us interpret the messages that we receive in any communication interaction.  Each carries with it a wide variety of intercultural implications.

• Physical Appearance and dress
• Proxemics or the personal space and territory we create for ourselves
• Touch
• Time
• Gesture, Posture, and Body Movement
• Tone of Voice
• Face and Eye Behavior

Test

1. ______         Some of the most important aspects of how we perceive time are punctuality, urgency, and tangibility.

2. ______         People who view time as polychronic tend to be driven by time, strict scheduling, and punctuality.

3. ______         Cultures have the same reaction to an invasion of their territory.

4. ______         People from high contact cultures feel more comfortable with greater distance between themselves and others.

5. ______         Some cultures use touch as an everyday part of interaction.

6. ______         Northern European countries, Asian countries, and North America reserve touch mainly for intimate relationships.

7. ______         Human growth is not dependent upon touch.

8. ______         Nonverbal cues do not have meaning in and of themselves.

9. ______         The meaning we interpret from messages comes from both their verbal and nonverbal aspects.

10._____          Nonverbal cues do not have an arbitrary meaning like words do.

Answers:

1.                                                       T

2.                                                       F – Monochronic

3.                                                       F – different reaction

4.                                                       F – low contact

5.                                                       T

6.                                                       T

7.                                                       F – Is dependent

8.                                                       T

9.                                                       T

10.                                                   T

Bibliography

Axtell, R. (1991). Gestures: The do’s and taboos of body language around the world. New York: Wiley.

Poyatos, F. (1988). Cross-cultural perspectives in nonverbal communication. TorontO: Hogrefe.

Von Raffler-Engel, W. (1980). Aspects of nonverbal communication. Amsterdam: Swets & Zeitlinger.

Glossary

Labels – The symbols we use to communicate with one another.

Symbols – Arbitrary, ambiguous and abstract ways of representing other things.

Monochronic Time – Is seen as tangible; only one thing being done at any time.

Polychronic Time – More than one thing can be done at any time.

 Learning Objectives

·         Through our perception we receive stimuli and information about the world around us.  Those perceptions form a system that allows us to abstract and categorize our experiences and to make sense out of them.

·         Communication isn’t just what you say; it is also how you say it.  A large part of our communication interactions with others is nonverbal.

Q&A

1.   What are some categories of nonverbal communication that provide contextual information helping us interpret the messages that we receive in any communication interaction?

Some different categories of nonverbal behavior are physical appearance and dress, proxemics, touch, time, gestures and body movement, tone of voice, and face and eye contact.

2.  Explain the five categories of touch.

The functional–professional touch is performed to fulfill a task.  The social-polite touch is formal in nature and is generally limited to ritual behavior like greeting and leaving.  The friendship-warmth touch conveys caring and concern between people who have relationships that are deeper than mere acquaintances but not intimate.  The love-intimacy touch is reserved for close family members and intimate friends.  The sexual-arousal touch occurs in erotic-sexual interactions.

3.  Explain the three primary types of communication codes.

Intrinsic codes are those we are born with.  They cannot be changed to have different meanings – they always mean the same thing.  Iconic codes are the symbols and gestures used to show you are hungry, angry, or interested in mating.  Arbitrary codes are those codes we create.

End of Module