The facial area is the most important area of NV signalling, and although studies indicate that the facial expressions of happiness, sadness, fear and surprise are universal across cultures, judging expressions from individuals can be problematic. Negative expressions may be cancelled as culture often dictates. The Japanese are taught from an early age not to show negative emotions such as anger or sadness, they consider smiling as a courtesy and they may keep smiling even if you have angered them. The “eyebrow flashing” that occurs when people greet each other from a distance may be universal, except in Japan it would be considered indecent.
By looking at someone’s face we can learn a lot. Age, gender and cultural origins can be determined, and this can lead to stereotyping. We all have the tendency to make assumptions about a person’s character based on the information we perceive from someone’s face, even if we know little about him or her. A course unshaven face with thin lips and sneaky eyes, leads us to characterise the person as hostile. Similarly we may perceive a bespectacled child as bright and intelligent. The dangers of this stereotyping could be the self fulfilling prophecy, suggesting that if we perceive someone as hostile, then we will treat him or her as hostile and in due course he or she will become hostile. This prejudgement affects how we communicate with the person.
In addition to stereotyping affecting how we communicate, an individual’s normal characteristic (base level) plays an important part. How we interpret somebody’s NVC depends on their base level. For example, it may be a normal characteristic for someone to look surprised all the time. We may take to mean that the person is in disagreement or disbelieves or vocal words. As we realise that the surprised look is a normal characteristic caused by natural high eyebrows, our understanding of their personal NVC is adjusted.
As we engage in interpersonal communication we get to understand a person’s base level. The chances of stereotyping diminish.
Perceptions play an important part in interpersonal communication. We not only make judgements of the person. We also judge the context, the place where the conversation is to take place, and we modify our behaviour to suit the context. We apply universally applicable factors, rules and values, which govern behaviour to evaluate how we are to communicate. For instance, to enter into a loud debate in a quiet public library would be unacceptable. Self-perception is also important in interpersonal communication. We all like to give a good impression. It is favourable that we create a good impression as this makes communication run smoothly.
Paralinguistics can be defined as the tone and inflection we use during interpersonal communication. Although paralanguage is vocal, it is nonverbal. It includes stress, tone, intonations and speed of speech. The grunts, hesitations and even sarcasm used during interpersonal dialogue all tell the communicator about our emotional state. It plays an important part in interpersonal communication as it helps the listener (decoder) interpret what is being said and how to respond (encoder) We can even use the paralanguage to negate or diminish the importance of our spoken word. For instance, while admonishing a child whilst simultaneously using a soft tone of voice, or smiling at them.
We pay great attention to communication with the eyes. We use eye contact to collect information from other people. There are certain rules to eye contact. Eye contact with a stranger or slight acquaintance has a different rule than contact with someone who we are familiar. Common behaviour observed when we enter a lift in which there are strangers is we make swift eye contact and look away. The other is supposed to look away also. The glance communicates, “ I acknowledge you” but no words are exchanged. This is described as “the look away priority” a norm that guides the stranger to look away after eye contact is made. To prolong the look is seen as a sign of attraction or dominance.
Eye contact with a friend or close acquaintances is increased although it can vary. Studies show that while two people are in conversation, the listener will make eye contact 75% of the time. This is considered polite and indicates an interest in the topic being spoken. However, the speaker will only make eye contact with his audience 40% of the time.
We also use the eyes, as a signal to indicate that we want to speak and when you look away it is an indication that the conversation is finished. Proximity and eye contact are closely related. We need to establish eye contact when approaching a stranger walking towards us. This is perhaps to assess where the stranger is going to walk and take the necessary steps to avoid walking into his personal space.
Proximity is the name given to what we see as our invisible personal space. Again, it varies from culture to culture. In white Anglo Saxon cultures the general patterns seems to be: Intimate Space: People who have a close, intimate relationship will interact within a space of 15cm. Personal Space: In a reasonably close relationship but not intimate we will interact at a distance between 15cm to 1m. This is referred to as our “body bubble”. If strangers come within that space we feel uncomfortable. Social/consultative space: The area outside our “body bubble” or “personal space” in which we are happy to interact with strangers is around 1m to3m. Public Space: Above 3m we would find it strange to interact with others, unless there is a particular reason which makes it seem right, for example an address by a public speaker.
As usual these rules can be modified. I mentioned proximity is closely linked to eye contact. For example, on a crowded underground train when commuters are force into close proximity, notice how they will do anything to avoid eye contact. They spend their time reading a tightly rolled newspaper or studying the map of the underground or even concentrating on the total blackness outside the window.
Whatever signals we send, either deliberately or unwitting, have to be interpreted by the receiver. The receiver’s emotional state is crucial to how our signals are perceived. In some experiments subjects have been made to feel angry, sad, happy ect and then been shown some rather vague photographs. Their interpretation of the photographs almost always reflected their current emotional frame of mind. So you could give someone a hearty and slap on the back and find that if they are in an angry or aggressive state your gesture will be interpreted as aggressive.
NVC is a very important part of interpersonal communication. It coexists in conjunction with verbal communication and all aspects of NVC are closely linked. NVC is affected culturally. What may be acceptable in one culture may be considered rude in another. However, some facial language is innate and universal. How our NVC is interpreted depends on the decoder’s emotional perception. Conversely, how we communicate is, in turn, affected by our own perceptions, attitudes and values. Finally, NVC is a very individual characteristic. To correctly interpret someone’s NVC we need to be aware of his or her base level. That is this, normal characteristics usually displayed by that person.
Bibilography
(2000) Accessed 5th November 2002
Davis J (2002) Task Sheet 14, Isle of Wight College.
Study Sheet 20(1989) The Communications Kit, Cambridge University Press