Story head: Nonverbal Communication Study
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Nonverbal Communication Study
Nonverbal communication is a silent infiltrator, having broad
influence over our social environment. It provides us with a mode
for conveying messages without the use of verbal language. It may
enhance or detract from a verbal communication. It regulates
relationships by affecting the likelihood of introduction and
continued interaction. We are able to infer emotion through
nonverbal communication and influence other's perception of our
competence, power and vulnerability. It also plays a role in the
perception of the actual message we are trying to convey. It affects
our lives in a myriad of ways from childhood throughout adulthood,
and as long as we intend to communicate with others.
What is it about the internet that is so appealing? In the past
year, people have flocked to the internet. According to estimates
from 1994, 25 million people are communicating on the internet
worldwide. Most people who have access to e-mail will tell you that
they keep in touch with people better than they ever did before; but
they can't remember the last time they actually "mailed" a
conventional letter. Internet users even refer to the U.S. Postal
service as "snail mail."
No doubt, part of the appeal, particularly e-mail and chat
capabilities, comes from the "instant" gratification that comes with
the internet. An e-mail can be sent around the world in a matter of
seconds. Even better, real-time chat allows users living on
different continents to communicate as if by phone, without face to
face interaction. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) offers new
paradigms for thought and communication and opens up new
possibilities for human interaction.
Even internet "romance" is alive and well. People are now marrying
their internet "loves." Other people just stick to the cybersex.
Just about anything you can find "In Real Life" you can find
represented on the internet. Important visible cues, however, are
missing from the net. These nonverbal cues play a role in real life
face to face communication, but are not represented equally on the
internet. How does the lack of nonverbal cues affect communication
on the internet?
Nonverbal communication is defined as the process by
which nonverbal behaviors are used, either singly or in combination
with verbal behaviors, in the exchange and interpretation of
messages within a given situation or context. If communication is
considered a type of matrix, there are distinctions between verbal
and nonverbal behaviors that can be divided into vocal and
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THE 2500-YEAR-OLD PYTHAGOREAN
THEOREM
Pythagoras of Samos was a Greek
philosopher
responsible for important developments in mathematics, astronomy and
the theory of music. He left Samos because of the tyrant who ruled
there and went to southern Italy about 532 BC. He founded a
philosophical and religious school in Croton that had many
followers.
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ever before. Satellite transmission can beam instructional
material to sites thousands of miles away. Computer graphics
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nonvocal behaviors. The result is a matrix consisting
of
four potential sets of communication behaviors:
verbal/vocal behaviors, verbal/nonvocal behaviors,
nonverbal/vocal behaviors, and nonverbal/nonvocal behaviors.
Nonverbal communication is thought to comprise six functions
in human communication. These functions consist of
complementing verbal messages, substituting for verbal
messages, accenting verbal messages, contradicting verbal
messages, repeating verbal messages, and regulating verbal
messages. Each of these functions of nonverbal communication
are, for the most part, missing during the course of using the
internet as a communication tool.
The complementing function of nonverbal communication includes
nonverbal cues -- such as tone of voice, facial expression,
gestures, or distance between people -- often serving to
complement the verbal message and add to, clarify, or
reinforce the meaning. The term "complement" indicates that
the behavior alone would not communicate the intended message.
"A complementing nonverbal message changes the meaning of the
verbal message by adding additional insights or information".
This function of nonverbal cues on the internet is missing in
any message sent by e-mail or chat. If a person writes "I hate
college" on the internet, we can't make an assumption on the
truth of the statement without more information. They could be
laughing when they say it, or frowning, or crying -- all of
those nonverbal cues would make a difference in determining
the meaning behind the words. Some internet users try to
duplicate these nonverbal cues with "netiquette" -- by using
smiley faces or words describing their feelings in
parentheses. The message sender can reflect some of the
missing nonverbal cues by sending the cues as written words.
It's kind of like the terrible two's. Where children
are discovering what they can do with their own kinesthetics.
This is a time where children like to touch everything they
see. It doesn't matter what it is. If they see it, they want
to have the experience of touching it. Often times you can
find them totally lost in the moment, fully absorbed in
whatever kinesthetic experience they are indulging in at that
moment. It's like a moment frozen in time. As they sit there
manipulating that object, time passes, but for them there is
no awareness of time, only the moment.
When I was younger I often found myself being fascinated with
how well some the animals who traveled with the circus's were
able to understand their trainers. Also, I had a friend who
trained attack dogs. He would often train the one that he
considered the brightest, and that dog would help in training
the others. What I found in common with my friend who trained
the dogs, and animal trainers who worked with the animals in
the circus, was their ability to use non-verbally coded
methods of communication.
Communication is a complex dynamic system. It involves all
modes of sending receiving and feedback. It appears at a young
age and decoding ability increases with age. At times
nonverbal cues may be used to emphasize a message we are
trying to convey. On other occasions it replaces verbal
communication. Communication is used in everyday life, from
greeting a stranger to touching a lover. The nonverbal
behavior an individual uses is a product of characteristics
endowed at birth and socially learned norms.
Knowledge of the effects nonverbal communications introduce is
needed, because our awareness may enhance favorable
communication. Nonverbal cues may be unconsciously acted and
reacted upon, regulating proximity, gestures, eye gaze and
touch. Each component of nonverbal behavior affects our
relationship and interpersonal environment in intricate ways.
Nonverbal cues provide insight into affect states, influence
another's perception of an individual's competence,
persuasiveness, power, sincerity and vulnerability. In a new
age where increasing population is decreasing personal space,
it is imperative to understand cultural and personal
communication differences and similarities.
Bibliography:
• Leathers, D. (1997). (3rd. ed.) Successful Nonverbal
Communication: Principles and Applications.
• Knapp, M. L., & Hall, J. A. (1997). Nonverbal communication
in human interaction. (4th ed.)
• Segerstrale, U., & Molnar, P. (1997). (Eds). Nonverbal
Communication: Where Nature Meets Culture.
• Malandro, L. A., and Barker, L. (1983). Nonverbal
Communication. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley.
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FLASH
TERM PAPERS
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EDITOR'S
PICK
Classroom Management
Plan:
When developing classroom plans and teaching methods, many teachers
use collaborative learning techniques. This generally involves
intergroup learning and the use of verbal interaction. Where the
teacher is not just teaching, rather giving the students an
opportunity to learn through interpersonal interaction. Some use
peer groups for classroom management, thereby creating more time for
personal interaction with individual students.
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28, 06
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