NONVERBAL CODES

A multi-channeled process that is performed spontaneously.

It typically involves a subtle set of non-linguistic behaviors,
that are often enacted subconsciously.
Verbal and Nonverbal behaviors are intertwined.

CULTURAL UNIVERSALS IN
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Paul Eckman listed the following as universal:
Fear: Raised eyebrows and wide-opened
mouth.
The need for territoriality

BODY MOVEMENTS
(KINESICS)
Emblems: Have a direct verbal counterpart.
Illustrators: Accompany a verbal message.
Affect Displays: Facial or body movements that show
feelings or emotions.
Regulators: Help to synchronize the back-and-forth nature
of conversations.
Adaptors: Body movements that occur as a reaction to your
own physiological, or psychological state. Scratching an
itch, tapping a pencil

NONVERBAL CONTINUED
Touch and space (M and N): The bubble around us that
marks the territory between ourselves and others.
Contact cultures: People stand closer together, make
direct eye contact, when talking and touch frequently
Non-contact cultures: People stand further apart, make
less direct eye contact, and touch less often

CULTURAL SPACE
M&N
Cultural Space relates to the way communication
constructs meanings of various places.
Our views of ourselves are formed, in part, by our cultural
space.
For example, think of home one of the earliest cultural
spaces we experience
Another example: the social class of a U.S.-American home
is often expressed nonverbally: from the way the lawn is
cared for, to the kinds of cars that are in the driveway, to
the kinds of furniture in the home.

NONVERBAL CONTINUED
Time: How people use it, structure it, interpret
it, and understand its passage is called
chronemics.
Past, present, and future oriented cultures
Technical, formal, and informal time systems
Monochronic and polychronic

CULTURAL VARIATIONS IN
NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
Cultures differ in specific repertoire of behaviors:
Movements, body positions, posture, vocal intonation,
Display rules: Govern when and under what circumstances
nonverbal behaviors are required, preferred, permitted, or
prohibited.
Interpretations: meanings attributed to particular nonverbal
behaviors.
Three interpretations: Random, idiosyncratic, or shared

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
ADDITIONAL NONVERBAL CODE SYSTEMS
Define and give an example of the following:
Chemical Code System
Dermal Code System
Physical Code system
Artifactual Code System
What are they? Give examples.